Unit 4A- Chemical Reactions

Flashcards covering key chemistry vocabulary, including definitions for acids, bases, chemical reactions, and various chemical concepts from the lecture notes.

Acid

A substance that vigorously reacts with most metals to produce hydrogen, readily conducts electricity, turns litmus red, and has a pH less than 7; typically corrosive or sour-tasting.

Base

A substance that does not react with most metals, readily conducts electricity, turns litmus blue, and has a pH greater than 7; typically feels slippery and is bitter-tasting.

Chemical equation

A way to describe what goes on in a chemical reaction, the actual change in a material.

Chemical formula

A formula that tells how many atoms of a particular element, or multiple elements, are found within a certain chemical compound.

Chemical name

The name of a chemical compound that shows the names of each of its elements.

Chemical reaction

A chemical change that results in the rearrangement of atoms forming products with new properties.

Coefficient

The number placed in front of molecules in a chemical equation that represents the number of molecules.

Combustion reaction

A type of chemical reaction in which a compound and oxygen are combined to produce heat and a new product.

Corrosive

A substance that has the power to cause irreversible damage or destroy another substance by contact.

Decomposition

A type of chemical reaction in which a more complex substance breaks down into its more simple parts.

Endothermic reactions

A chemical reaction accompanied by the absorption of heat. Usually feels cold to the touch. Energy is absorbed from the surrounding environment because more energy is required to form the product than it is to break apart the bonds of the reactants.

Exothermic reactions

A chemical reaction that releases energy in the form of light or heat. Usually feels hot to the touch. Heat is released because more energy is required to break apart the bonds of the reactants than to form the product.

Hydrogen Ion (H+)

When the Hydrogen atom loses an electron, all that is left is a proton and it becomes positively charged.

Hydroxide Ion (OH−)

A diatomic molecule that comes from water with a hydrogen removed and is negatively charged.

Indicator

Any of various substances, such as litmus or phenolphthalein, that indicate if a substance is an acid or base by means of a color change.

Law of Conservation of Mass/Matter

A law stating that matter is neither created nor destroyed. In a chemical reaction, the same number of atoms occurs in the products as in the original reactants.

Neutralization

When an acid and a base react to form water and a salt, and it involves the combination of H+ ions and OH− ions to generate water.

pH Scale

A measure of the acidity or basicity of a solution. The lower the pH of a solution, the more acidic it is. The higher the pH, the more basic it is.

Product

A substance that is the result of a chemical change and is written on the right side of the arrow in a chemical equation.

Reactant

A substance that undergoes a chemical change and is written on the left side of the arrow in a chemical equation.

Single replacement

A type of chemical reaction in which a single uncombined element replaces another in a compound.

Double Replacement

A type of chemical reaction in which parts of two compounds switch places to form two new compounds.

Subscript

A small number written at the bottom of the symbol that depicts the number of atoms of the element present in the molecule.

Synthesis

A type of chemical reaction in which two or more simple substances combine to form a more complex substance.