Caribbean Secondary Education Certificate - Chemistry Exam Notes

A set of vocabulary flashcards based on the concepts and information from the Caribbean Secondary Education Certificate Chemistry exam notes.

Atom

The basic unit of a chemical element, electrically neutral with equal numbers of protons and electrons.

Ion

An atom or molecule that has a net electrical charge due to the loss or gain of one or more electrons.

Electrolysis

A chemical process that uses an electric current to drive a non-spontaneous reaction.

Isotope

Atoms of the same element that have the same number of protons but different numbers of neutrons.

Ionic Bond

A chemical bond formed between oppositely charged ions, typically between a metal and a non-metal.

Covalent Bond

A chemical bond that involves the sharing of electron pairs between atoms.

Electronegativity

The tendency of an atom to attract a bonding pair of electrons.

Homologous Series

A series of organic compounds that differ by a constant unit, often a -CH₂ group.

Hydration

The process of adding water to a substance, often involves hydration shells around ions in solutions.

Gas Laws

The set of laws governing the behavior of gases, including relationships between pressure, volume, and temperature.

Diatomic Molecule

A molecule that consists of two atoms, whether they are of the same or different chemical elements.

Acid-base Reaction

A chemical reaction that occurs between an acid and a base, resulting in the formation of water and a salt.

Saturated Hydrocarbon

A hydrocarbon with single bonds only, containing the maximum number of hydrogen atoms possible per carbon atom.

Unsaturated Hydrocarbon

A hydrocarbon that contains at least one double or triple bond, resulting in fewer hydrogen atoms.

Oxidation State

The degree of oxidation of an atom in a compound, indicating the total number of electrons that an atom gains, loses, or shares.

Precipitate

An insoluble solid that is formed from a solution during a chemical reaction.

Molarity (mol/dm³)

A measure of concentration indicating the number of moles of solute per liter of solution.

Saponification

The process of making soap from fats or oils by hydrolysis of an ester in the presence of an alkali.

Melting Point

The temperature at which a solid becomes a liquid.

Boiling Point

The temperature at which a liquid's vapor pressure equals atmospheric pressure, resulting in the formation of vapor.

Electrode

A conductor through which electricity enters or leaves an electrolytic cell.

Chemical Equation

A symbolic representation of a chemical reaction showing the reactants and products.