Intro to Chem Vocab

Element

A fundamental substance that cannot be broken into simpler substances by chemical or physical processes

Atom

The smallest particle of an element

Proton

A subatomic particle that has a positive charge and that is found in the nucleus of an atom

Electron

a negatively charged subatomic particle located in the outer shell of an atom

Nucleus

Center of an atom composed of protons and neutrons

Atomic Number

the number assigned to an element, based on the number of protons in the nucleus of an atom

Physical property

A characteristic of a pure substance that can be observed without changing it into another substance. Such as size, shape, density, and phase

Chemical property

A characteristic of a pure substance that determines how it interacts with other substances.

atom

the smallest unit of an element

Neutron

a subatomic particle that is found inside the nucleus and has no charge