Think Like a Proton - Chapter 1 Vocabulary Flashcards

Vocabulary flashcards covering key concepts from the lecture notes for exam prep.

Solid

State of matter with fixed shape and fixed volume.

Liquid

State of matter that takes the shape of its container, forms a horizontal surface, and has a fixed volume.

Gas

State of matter that expands to fill its container.

Balance (chemical equation)

A chemical equation with the same number of each type of atom on both sides.

Law of Conservation of Mass

Matter is neither created nor destroyed in a chemical reaction; chemical equations must be balanced to reflect this.

Homogeneous mixture

A mixture with uniform composition throughout; components are not easily distinguished.

Heterogeneous mixture

A mixture with nonuniform composition; components are visibly different.

Element

A pure substance consisting of only one kind of atom.

Symbol (of an element)

A one- or two-letter abbreviation for an element.

Hydrogen (H)

The lightest element; most abundant in the universe; symbol H.

Helium (He)

A noble gas; inert; symbol He.

Lithium (Li)

Alkali metal; symbol Li.

Beryllium (Be)

Alkaline earth metal; symbol Be.

Boron (B)

Metalloid; symbol B.

Carbon (C)

Basis of organic chemistry; symbol C.

Nitrogen (N)

Most abundant gas in Earth's atmosphere; symbol N.

Oxygen (O)

Essential for respiration; symbol O.

Fluorine (F)

Most reactive halogen; symbol F.

Neon (Ne)

Noble gas; used in signs; symbol Ne.

Sodium (Na)

Alkali metal; symbol Na; from natrium.

Magnesium (Mg)

Alkaline earth metal; symbol Mg.

Aluminum (Al)

Lightweight metal; symbol Al.

Silicon (Si)

Semiconductor; symbol Si.

Phosphorus (P)

Essential for life; symbol P.

Sulfur (S)

Nonmetal; symbol S.

Chlorine (Cl)

Halogen; used in disinfection; symbol Cl.

Argon (Ar)

Noble gas; inert; symbol Ar.

Potassium (K)

Alkali metal; symbol K; from kalium.

Calcium (Ca)

Alkaline earth metal; symbol Ca.

Scandium (Sc)

Transition metal; symbol Sc.

Titanium (Ti)

Transition metal; symbol Ti.

Vanadium (V)

Transition metal; symbol V.

Chromium (Cr)

Transition metal; symbol Cr.

Manganese (Mn)

Transition metal; symbol Mn.

Iron (Fe)

Transition metal; symbol Fe.

Cobalt (Co)

Transition metal; symbol Co.

Nickel (Ni)

Transition metal; symbol Ni.

Copper (Cu)

Transition metal; symbol Cu.

Zinc (Zn)

Transition metal; symbol Zn.

Gallium (Ga)

Post-transition metal; symbol Ga.

Germanium (Ge)

Metalloid; symbol Ge.

Arsenic (As)

Metalloid; symbol As.

Selenium (Se)

Nonmetal; symbol Se.

Bromine (Br)

Halogen; liquid at room temperature; symbol Br.

Krypton (Kr)

Noble gas; inert; symbol Kr.

Meter (m)

SI base unit of length.

Kilogram (kg)

SI base unit of mass.

Second (s)

SI base unit of time.

Ampere (A)

SI base unit of electric current.

Kelvin (K)

SI base unit of thermodynamic temperature.

Mole (mol)

SI base unit of amount of substance.

Candela (cd)

SI base unit of luminous intensity.

2019 SI redefinition

All base units defined by fixed values of physical constants (e.g., kilogram defined by Planck constant).

Area (derived unit)

Derived unit for area: m².

Volume (derived unit)

Derived unit for volume: m³.

Density (derived unit)

Mass per unit volume: kg/m³.

Speed (derived unit)

Distance per unit time: m/s.

Acceleration (derived unit)

Change in speed per unit time: m/s².

Force (derived unit)

Newton (N) = kg·m/s².

Pressure (derived unit)

Pascal (Pa) = kg/(m·s²).

Energy (derived unit)

Joule (J) = kg·m²/s².

Base unit (definition)

Fundamental unit in SI from which other units are derived.

Derived unit (definition)

A unit formed from base units by multiplication/division.

Base prefixes (example)

Prefixes such as kilo = 1,000; centi = 0.01; milli = 0.001; micro = 1e-6.

Scientific notation

Numbers written as mantissa × 10^exponent; mantissa between 1 and 10.

Celsius to Kelvin

K = °C + 273.15.

Kelvin to Celsius

°C = K − 273.15.

Density (definition)

Mass per volume; density = m/v; units g/mL or g/cm³.

Significant figures

Digits that carry meaning in a measurement; last digit is often uncertain.

Precision vs. Accuracy

Precision = closeness of a set of measurements; Accuracy = closeness to the true value.

Exact numbers

Numbers with infinite significant figures (counted values, defined quantities).

Rules for zeros (sig figs)

Rule 1: Zeros between nonzeros are significant. Rule 2: Leading zeros are not significant. Rule 3: Trailing zeros after decimal are significant. Rule 4: Trailing zeros before decimal may or may not be significant.

Addition/Subtraction sig figs rule

Round to the fewest digits after the decimal point among the numbers.

Multiplication/Division sig figs rule

Round to the fewest total significant figures among the numbers.

Dimensional analysis

Problem-solving method using conversion factors to cancel units.

Physical property

Characteristic that can be observed without changing composition (e.g., color, density, melting point).

Chemical property

Property that describes a substance’s ability to undergo a chemical change (e.g., rusting, combustion).

Indications of chemical change

Color change, temperature change, formation of precipitate, evolution of gas, odor, or light.

Intensive property

Independent of sample size (e.g., melting point, density, color, luster, hardness, brittleness).

Extensive property

Dependent on the amount of substance (e.g., mass, volume, size).