FOUNDATIONS: Chemistry & Chemical Safety (1)

acidic solution

a solution that has a pH below 7

acid-alkali neutralization reactions

also referred to as simply neutralization reactions, when acids are mixed with alkalis in equal proportions, balancing the total pH and forming water

alkaline solution

solution that has a pH above 7

alkalis

(bases) compounds that react with acids to form salts

alkanolamines

alkaline substances used to neutralize acids or raise the pH of many hair products

alpha hydroxy acids

AHAs— acids derived mostly from milk and fruit sugars that are often used to exfoliate the skin

ammonia

colorless gas with a pungent odor that is composed of hydrogen and nitrogen

anion

an ion with a negative electrical charge

atoms

the smallest chemical components of an element; structures that make up the element and have the same properties of the element

carcinogen

a substance that causes or is believed to cause cancer

cation

an ion with a positive electrical charge

chemical change

a change in the chemical composition or make-up of a substance

chemical properties

characteristics that can be determined only by a chemical reaction and a chemical change in the substance

chemistry

science that deals with the composition, structures, and properties of matter and how matter changes under different conditions

combustible

material that is capable of igniting and burning

combustion

repaid oxidation of a substance accompanied by the production of heat and light

electrons

subatomic particles with a negative charge

element

the simplest form of chemical matter; an element cannot be broken down into simpler substance without a loss of identity

elemental molecule

molecule containing two or more atoms of the same element in definite proportions

emulsifier

an ingredient that brings two normally incompatible materials together and binds them into a uniform and fairly stable mixture