General Chemistry Ch 1: Matter, Measurement, and Problem Solving

Vocabulary flashcards covering foundational principles of chemistry, matter classification, properties, energy forms, units, and measurement precision.

Chemistry

The science that seeks to understand the behavior of matter by studying the behavior of atoms and molecules.

Atoms

Submicroscopic particles that constitute the fundamental building blocks of ordinary matter.

Molecules

Particles formed when two or more atoms bind together in specific geometrical arrangements.

Scientific Method

A process for understanding nature by observing nature and its behavior, and by conducting experiments to test ideas.

Observation

Descriptions about the characteristics or behavior of nature, also known as data.

Hypothesis

A tentative interpretation or explanation of observations that is falsifiable through experiment.

Scientific Law

A brief statement that summarizes past observations and predicts future ones.

Scientific Theory

A well-established model for the way nature is that attempts to explain not merely what nature does, but why.

Law of Conservation of Mass

A scientific law stating that in a chemical reaction, matter is neither created nor destroyed.

Matter

Anything that occupies space and has mass.

Solid Matter

A state of matter in which atoms or molecules pack close to each other in fixed locations, resulting in a fixed volume and rigid shape.

Crystalline Solid

A solid in which atoms or molecules are arranged in patterns with long-range, repeating order.

Amorphous Solid

A solid in which atoms or molecules do not have any long-range order.

Liquid Matter

A state of matter in which atoms or molecules pack closely but are free to move relative to each other, resulting in a fixed volume but not a fixed shape.

Gaseous Matter

A state of matter in which atoms or molecules have a lot of space between them and are free to move relative to one another, making it compressible.

Pure Substance

Matter made up of only one component whose composition is invariant.

Mixture

A substance composed of two or more components in proportions that can vary from one sample to another.

Element

A pure substance that cannot be broken down into simpler substances by chemical or physical means.

Compound

A pure substance composed of two or more elements in fixed definite proportions.

Heterogeneous Mixture

A mixture in which the composition varies from one region to another, having two or more visibly distinct phases.

Homogeneous Mixture

A mixture made of multiple substances that appears to be one substance, having only one visibly distinct phase and uniform composition throughout.

Decanting

A separation process involving carefully pouring off a liquid from an insoluble solid or another liquid into a separate container.

Distillation

A separation process in which a mixture of liquids is heated to boil off the most volatile component, which is recondensed and collected.

Filtration

A separation process in which a mixture of an insoluble solid and a liquid is poured through filter paper in a funnel.

Physical Change

A change that alters only the state or appearance of a substance, without changing its chemical composition.

Chemical Change

A change that alters the composition of matter by rearranging atoms to transform original substances into different substances.

Physical Property

A property that a substance displays without changing its chemical composition.

Chemical Property

A property that a substance displays only by changing its composition via a chemical change or reaction.

Energy

The capacity to do work.

Work

The action of a force through a distance.

Kinetic Energy

The energy associated with the motion of an object.

Potential Energy

The energy associated with the position or composition of an object.

Thermal Energy

Energy associated with the temperature of an object, which arises from the kinetic energy of atomic and molecular motion.

Chemical Energy

A form of potential energy associated with the positions of electrons and nuclei within atoms and molecules.

Law of Conservation of Energy

A principle stating that energy is neither created nor destroyed during physical or chemical changes.

Mass

A measure of the quantity of matter contained within an object.

Weight

A measure of the gravitational pull on the matter of an object.

Temperature

A measure of the average amount of kinetic energy of the atoms or molecules that compose matter.

Absolute Zero

The temperature ($0\,\text{K}$, $-273\,{^\circ}\text{C}$, or $-459\,{^\circ}\text{F}$) at which molecular motion virtually stops.

Density

The ratio of a substance's mass to its volume ($\text{Density} = \frac{\text{mass}}{\text{volume}}$).

Intensive Property

A characteristic of matter that is independent of the amount of substance present.

Extensive Property

A characteristic of matter that depends on the amount of substance present.

Accuracy

Refers to how close a measured value is to the actual or true value.

Precision

Refers to how close a series of measurements are to one another, or how reproducible they are.

Random Error

An error in measurement that has an equal probability of being too high or too low.

Systematic Error

An error in measurement that tends toward being consistently either too high or too low.

Dimensional Analysis

A problem-solving strategy that uses units as a guide to solve unit conversion problems.