Chemistry and Atomic Structure Review

A complete set of vocabulary flashcards covering basic chemical principles, states of matter, scientific laws, wave properties, and atomic theory from the lecture notes.

Potential Energy

The energy of an object due to a stored position.

Atom

The smallest part of an element that retains the chemical identity of that element.

Molecule

A unit composed of two or more atoms bonded together that act as a single unit.

Work

A force acting over a distance.

Matter

Anything that occupies space and is composed of atoms.

Solid

A rigid state of matter with a fixed volume and a fixed shape.

Liquid

A state of matter with a definite volume but no specific shape, assuming the shape of its container.

Gas

A state of matter with no fixed volume or shape, assuming both the shape and volume of its container.

Physical Change

A change in state or form that involves no change in chemical composition and can separate mixtures into pure compounds.

Chemical Change

A process in which one substance changes into another by reorganizing the way the atoms are attached.

Theory

A set of tested hypotheses that gives an overall explanation of a natural phenomenon, explaining why it occurs.

Observation

A witnessed phenomenon that can be observed and recorded.

Hypothesis

A possible explanation of the reason behind an observed phenomenon.

Natural Law

A statement or summary of an observation that applies to many different systems, describing how nature behaves.

Law of Conservation of Mass

A principle stating that mass cannot be created or destroyed in a chemical reaction.

Law of Definite Proportions

A principle stating that any amount of a specific compound always contains the exact same proportion of elements by mass.

Proton

A subatomic particle whose quantity defines the element; changing the number of protons changes the element itself.

Neutron

A subatomic particle whose quantity determines the specific isotope of an element.

Electron

A subatomic particle whose gain or loss converts a neutral atom into an ion (cation or anion).

Wavelength

The distance between consecutive peaks or troughs of a wave.

Frequency

The number of wave cycles that pass a specified point per second.

Mass-Energy Equivalence

Represented by the equation $E = mc^2$, indicating that energy possesses mass.

Diffraction Pattern

The pattern of light intensity produced from scattered radiation.

Continuous Spectrum

A spectrum produced when white light passes through a prism, showing all visible wavelengths.

Line Spectrum

A spectrum showing only specific discrete wavelengths, demonstrating that energy levels are quantized.

Ground State

The lowest possible energy state of an atom or electron.

Bohr Model

An atomic model based on hydrogen that describes electrons existing in specific quantized energy states and circular orbits.

Orbit

A proposed circular path for an electron around the nucleus in the Bohr model, which does not accurately describe true electron movement.

Orbital

A specific wave function describing the three-dimensional region in space with a high probability of locating an electron.

Radial Probability Distribution

A graph plotting the probability domain of finding an electron as a function of radial distance from the nucleus.

Core Electrons

Inner-shell electrons in an atom that are not valence electrons.

Valence Electrons

Electrons in the outermost energy shell; elements in the same periodic table group share the same valence electron configuration and chemical behavior.