Demystifying Inorganic Chemistry Vocabulary Review

A comprehensive set of vocabulary flashcards based on Joseph Jobs Kayiira's Inorganic Chemistry lecture notes, covering periodicity, group trends, transition elements, and industrial processes.

Periods

The rows in the modern Periodic Table.

Groups

The columns in the modern Periodic Table; elements in the same group have similar chemical properties and the same outermost configuration.

s-block elements

Elements whose outermost electrons occupy the s sub-energy level, consisting of Groups IA and IIA.

p-block elements

Elements occupying the right hand block of the table whose outermost electrons occupy the p sub-energy level (excluding helium).

d-block elements

Elements that occupy the middle block of the table with outermost electrons in the d sub-energy level after the s sub-energy level is filled.

f-block elements

Elements separated at the bottom of the table in which the f sub-energy level is filled successively, divided into lanthanides and actinides.

Metalloids

A class of chemical elements intermediate in properties between metals and non-metals, often acting as semiconductors.

Nuclear charge (Z)

The total number of positive charges in the nucleus of an atom, equivalent to the number of protons.

Shielding effect (Screening effect)

The repulsion of outermost electrons by those in the innermost sub-energy levels, describing the decrease in attraction between an electron and the nucleus.

Effective nuclear charge ($Z_{eff}$)

The net positive charge experienced by an electron in an atom, given by the equation $Z_{eff} = Z - S$, where $Z$ is nuclear charge and $S$ is shielding effect.

Atomic radius

Half the internuclear distance between two atoms in a covalently bonded diatomic molecule with similar atoms or in a metallic bond.

Ionisation energy

The minimum amount of energy required to remove an electron from a gaseous atom to form a charged gaseous ion.

First electron affinity

The energy given out when one mole of electrons combines with one mole of gaseous atoms to form one mole of uninegatively charged gaseous ions.

Electronegativity

The tendency of an atom to attract bonding electrons towards itself in a covalent bond.

Electropositivity

The tendency of an atom of an element to lose its valence electrons to become positively charged.

Standard electrode potential ($E^0$)

The potential difference or reduction potential established when a metal electrode is dipped in a 1 molar solution of its ions measured relative to the standard hydrogen electrode at $25\,^{\circ}C$ and 1 atmosphere.

Catenation

The ability of an atom to form long chains of identical atoms, as seen conspicuously in carbon.

Inert pair effect

The inability of the two outermost s-electrons of Group IV atoms (such as tin and lead) to participate in bonding due to increased nuclear attraction.

Water gas

A gaseous mixture of carbon monoxide and hydrogen formed when red hot carbon reacts with steam.

Transition element

An element that has a partially filled d-sub energy level in its atom or at least one of its ions.

Ligand

An ion or neutral molecule capable of forming coordinate covalent bonds with a central atom or ion by donating a lone pair of electrons.

Coordination number

The number of coordinate bonds a central metal atom or ion is able to form with ligands.

Monodentate ligand

A ligand that forms only one coordinate bond with the central atom or ion, such as ammine ($NH_3$) or aqua ($H_2O$).

Bidentate ligand

A ligand which forms only two coordinate bonds with a central atom or ion, such as ethane-1,2-diamine or oxalato.

Polydentate ligand

A ligand which forms more than two coordinate bonds with the central metal atom or ion, such as EDTA.

Geometric isomers

Compounds with the same molecular formula but different arrangement of ligands in space, forming cis- and trans- forms.

Ionisation isomers

Compounds with the same molecular formula but different ions in solution, such as $[Co(NH_3)_5Br]^{2+}SO_4^{2-}$ and $[Co(NH_3)_5SO_4]^{+}Br^{-}$.

Hydrate isomers

Isomers that differ by the number of water molecules directly bonded to the central metal ion.

Paramagnetism

A phenomenon where substances are weakly attracted to a strong magnetic field, increasing with the number of unpaired electrons in the 3d sub-energy level.

Positive catalyst

A substance that increases the rate of a chemical reaction by providing an alternative path with lower activation energy.

Heterogeneous catalyst

A catalyst whose phase is different from that of the reactants.

Homogeneous catalyst

A catalyst which is in the same phase as the reactants.

Interstitial compounds

Compounds with non-stoichiometric composition formed when small atoms like hydrogen, carbon, or nitrogen fit in the interstices of transition metal lattices.

Oleum

A fuming liquid ($H_2S_2O_7$) formed by dissolving sulphur trioxide in concentrated sulphuric acid.

Ore

A naturally occurring substance from which an element can be extracted using a suitable method.

Slag

A liquid waste material, such as calcium silicate or calcium aluminate, formed by the reaction of a flux with impurities during smelting.

Pig iron (Cast iron)

Impure iron obtained from a blast furnace containing about 4% carbon and other impurities, making it brittle with a low tensile strength.

Wrought iron

The purest form of iron obtained by heating pig iron with iron(III) oxide to remove impurities as gaseous oxides or slag.

Diagonal relationship

A similarity in properties between elements in Period 2 and their diagonally opposite neighbours in Period 3, such as Lithium and Magnesium.

Polarisability

The ease by which the electron cloud of an anion can be distorted, depending on the size of the anion.