Organic Chemistry and Nuclear Science Practice Flashcards

A comprehensive set of vocabulary flashcards covering organic chemistry (alkenes, alkynes, polymers), atomic structure, and nuclear physics history and concepts.

Alkenes

Hydrocarbons that contain one or more double bonds, have bond angles of $120^o$, use $SP^2$ hybrids, and follow the general formula $C_nH_{2n}$.

Alkynes

Hydrocarbons that contain one or more triple bonds, have bond angles of $180^o$, use $SP$ hybrid orbitals, and follow the general formula $C_nH_{2n-2}$.

Bakelite

Invented in 1907 by Leo Baekeland in New York, this was the world's first fully synthetic plastic.

Hermann Staudinger

Nobel laureate referred to as the "father of polymer chemistry" for his contributions to materials science.

Herman Mark

Scientist known as the "father of polymer physics" for his work with plastic materials.

Addition Polymer

A polymer formed when monomers bond together via the rearrangement of bonds without the loss of any atom or molecule.

Pendant Units

Molecular groups that "hang" from the polymer backbone to customize the properties of a plastic.

PET

Polyethylene terephthalate; used for fizzy drink bottles and frozen ready meal packages.

HDPE

High-density polyethylene; used for milk and washing-up liquid bottles.

Atomic Number (Z)

The number of protons in the nucleus of an atom.

Mass Number (A)

The total number of protons and neutrons in an atom, which gives the approximate mass in AMUs.

Cations

Ions with a positive charge where the charge value n > 0.

Anions

Ions with a negative charge where the charge value n < 0.

Nuclear Fission

A reaction involving the splitting of elements, primarily in the actinide series, to generate heat used in steam turbines to produce electricity.

Wilhelm Röntgen

German physics professor who discovered X-rays on November 8, 1895, while experimenting with Lenard and Crookes tubes.

Antoine Henri Becquerel

The discoverer of radioactivity and winner of the 1903 Nobel Prize in Physics.

Alpha Particles (a)

Radioactive particles identical to $^4_2He^{2+}$ that are stopped by a sheet of paper.

Beta Particles (b)

Negatively charged particles identical to high-speed electrons that are stopped by a sheet of aluminum foil.

Gamma Rays (g)

Very high energy photons, also described as supercharged x-rays, that are stopped by a block of lead.

Ernest Rutherford

New Zealand physicist known as the father of nuclear physics who discovered the concept of radioactive half-life and identified alpha and beta radiation.

Positron

A particle with a charge of $+1$ and the mass of an electron.

Glenn Theodore Seaborg

Nobel Prize winner and co-discoverer of ten elements, including plutonium, americium, and element 106 (seaborgium).

Lise Meitner

A member of the team that discovered nuclear fission whose achievement was overlooked by the Nobel committee.

Critical Mass

The smallest amount of fissile material needed for a sustained nuclear chain reaction.

Nuclear Fusion

The process where small nuclei combine to form larger nuclei; it serves as the power source of the stars.

Hans Albrecht Bethe

A German-American physicist and Nobel laureate recognized for his work on the theory of stellar nucleosynthesis.