Exam 1 Chemistry & Scientific Method Fundamentals

Vocabulary practice flashcards covering introductory science concepts, scientific method, metric prefixes, measurement uncertainty, atomic structure, and electron configurations.

Science

The systematic study of the structure of the physical and natural world.

Scientific Method

A study process that involves incredibly careful observation and experimentation.

Scientific Fact

An objective and verifiable observation that starts with a measurement and must be testable, repeatable, and reproducible.

Hypothesis

An unproven idea, usually based on a set of observations.

Law

An equation or statement that predicts an outcome without understanding how the result occurs.

Theory

A deep understanding of the mechanism of how a process occurs, which is able to make powerful predictions like a law and gives insights into how the process occurs.

Density Formula

The ratio defined by the formula $\text{density} = \frac{\text{mass}}{\text{volume}}$.

Dimensional Analysis

A method that uses the units of numbers to identify mathematical operations to help solve a problem, using conversion factors to change one unit to a different unit.

Conversion Factors

Relationships showing the connection between units, consisting of equalities (two units set equal to each other) or divisors (a number with units divided).

Exact Numbers

Numbers that have an unlimited number of significant figures, such as counting $25\text{ students}$.

Inexact Numbers

Numbers that come from measurements and contain uncertainty, such as $25.365\text{ students}$.

Accuracy

How close a measured value is to the actual value.

Precision

How close a series of measurements are to one another.

Chemistry

The study of matter at its most microscopic level.

Matter

Measurable and tangible substance that makes up the universe.

Atom

The smallest quantity of matter that retains unique properties, which cannot be seen or manipulated directly.

Element

A substance made up of atoms that cannot be broken down into two or more substances, measured as a gas, liquid, or solid, and organized on the periodic table.

Proton ($p^+$)

A positively charged subatomic particle located in the nucleus; the number of protons determines the element and equals the atomic number.

Neutron ($n^0$)

A subatomic particle carrying zero charge located in the nucleus that changes the atomic weight without affecting which element the atom is.

Electron ($e^-$)

A subatomic particle carrying one negative unit of charge bound to the nucleus, where the number of electrons equals the number of protons in a neutral atom.

Isotope

Atoms of the same element containing the same number of protons but a different number of neutrons, resulting in different masses.

Atomic Mass Unit (amu)

The weighted average mass of all naturally occurring isotopes of an element.

Cation

A positively charged ion formed when the number of protons is greater than the number of electrons ($\#p^+ > \#e^-$).

Anion

A negatively charged ion formed when the number of protons is less than the number of electrons ($\#p^+ < \#e^-$).

Principal Energy Level ($n$)

The main shell or collection of orbitals that all share the same principal quantum number $n$ value.

Sublevels

A collection of orbitals within a principal energy level that have the same shape.

Orbital

The 3D region where an electron has a high probability of being found.

s Sublevel

An atomic sublevel with an electron capacity of $2$, where higher energy levels contain larger orbitals.

p Sublevel

An atomic sublevel with an electron capacity of $6$.

d Sublevel

An atomic sublevel with an electron capacity of $10$.

f Sublevel

An atomic sublevel with an electron capacity of $14$.

Isoelectronic

Refers to species of different elements that possess the exact same number of electrons.

Tera-

A scientific prefix representing $10^{12}$.

Giga-

A scientific prefix representing $10^{9}$.

Mega-

A scientific prefix representing $10^{6}$.

Kilo-

A scientific prefix representing $10^{3}$.

Micro-

A scientific prefix representing $10^{-6}$.

Nano-

A scientific prefix representing $10^{-9}$.

Pico-

A scientific prefix representing $10^{-12}$.