Honors Chemistry: Matter, KMT, and Scientific Measurement

Vocabulary flashcards covering the states of matter, phase changes, SI units, scientific method components, and measurement principles based on Honors Chemistry lecture notes.

Chemistry

The study of matter and the changes it undergoes.

Mass

The amount of material that makes up a substance.

Volume

The amount of space an object physically occupies in a three-dimensional space.

Kinetic-Molecular Theory

A theory describing the motion of molecules that utilizes the speed of atoms and their proximity to neighboring matter to explain states of matter.

Bose-Einstein Condensate

Gases cooled to such a low temperature ($-273^{\circ}\text{C}$ or $-459^{\circ}\text{F}$) that the atoms are so close together they move as one in a wave-like pattern.

Plasma

Matter superheated to such a high degree that the kinetic energy is intense enough for nuclei to speed away from their electrons and become ionized cations.

Phase Change

The process of changing the state of matter from one form into another.

Latent Heat

Thermal energy that is transferred when matter goes between different phases.

Sublimation

The phase change from a solid directly to a gas.

Deposition

The phase change from a gas directly to a solid.

Fluidity

The ability to flow, which is a characteristic shared by both liquids and gases.

Viscosity

The resistance of a liquid to flow, influenced by the strength of attractive forces between molecules.

Diffusion

The movement of molecules from an area of high concentration to an area of lower concentration.

Effusion

The movement of molecules from high pressure to lower pressure, such as gas escaping a punctured tire.

Scientific Method

The search for knowledge through observation, study, and experimentation to find out about the nature of things.

Hypothesis

A statement or educated guess formed about a problem, often formatted as an "if… then…" statement.

Peer Review

A system where multiple scientists review a researcher's work to approve or disapprove it before it is published to the public.

Scientific Law

An explanation of the natural world that has no exceptions and is generally accepted by scientists after repeated testing.

Independent Variable

The factor in an experiment that the experimenter intentionally changes from one experiment to the next.

Dependent Variable

The factor that is measured or observed as a result of the changes intentionally made in an experiment.

Qualitative Data

Information describing qualities, such as smell, color, or sound, rather than numerical values.

Quantitative Data

Information that consists of numbers and measurements, such as length, weight, or duration.

Precision

The degree of exactness of a measurement and how closely two or more measurements of the same object are to one another.

Accuracy

How well the results of a measurement agree with the "real" or accepted value as measured by a competent experimenter.

Significant Figures

The valid digits in a measurement, which include all digits known with certainty plus one estimated digit of uncertainty.

Dimensional Analysis

A vital method for performing calculations based on multiplying fractions to cancel units until the desired unit is reached.