AP CHEM CH4 Vocab

aqueous solution

a homogeneous mixture where water acts as the solvent to dissolve a solute

polar molecule

covalently bonded molecule with an uneven distribution of electron density, creating a permanent net dipole moment with distinct partial positive and partial negative regions

hydration

the process where water molecules surround and interact with solute ions or molecules, such as when an ionic solid dissolves in water or forms a solid hydrate crystal structure

solubility

the maximum amount of a solute that can dissolve in a given amount of solvent at a specific temperature to form a saturated solution

solute

the substance that gets dissolved in a solvent to form a homogeneous mixture (a solution)

solvent

the substance present in the greatest amount in a solution that does the work of dissolving one or more solutes

electrical conductivity

a measure of how well a solution or material conducts an electric current, which depends directly on the concentration of mobile, free-moving charged particles

strong electrolyte

a solute that completely dissociates or ionizes into ions when dissolved in water

weak electrolyte

a substance that only partially breaks apart into ions when it dissolves in water

nonelectrolyte

a substance that does not produce ions when it dissolves in water, meaning its aqueous solution cannot conduct electricity

strong acid

an acid that ionizes 100% in water, donating all of its protons (hydrogen ions) to form hydronium ions

strong base

a substance that dissociates 100% into cations and hydroxide ions in an aqueous solution

weak acid

an acid that only partially ionizes or dissociates in water

weak base

a chemical species that only partially accepts protons from water in an aqueous solution

molarity

the number of moles of solute divided by the liters of solution (mol/L)

standard solution

a chemical solution with a concentration that is known precisely

dilution

the process of lowering the concentration of a solution by adding more solvent without changing the total number of moles of the solute

precipitation reaction

a chemical change in an aqueous solution where two dissolved ions combine to form an insoluble solid

precipitate

an insoluble ionic solid that emerges from a liquid solution when specific cations and anions combine during a reaction

molecular equation

a balanced chemical equation where all reactants and products are written as neutral, intact compounds using their full chemical formulas, rather than as separate dissociated ions

complete ionic equation

a chemical equation that lists all soluble ionic compounds, strong acids, and strong bases as dissociated free ions in aqueous solution

spectator ions

a chemical equation that lists all soluble ionic compounds, strong acids, and strong bases as dissociated free ions in aqueous solution

net ionic equation

a chemical equation that shows only the specific ions and molecules actively involved in a reaction, leaving out any spectator ions that do not change

Arrhenius acid

any substance that increases the concentration of hydrogen ions or hydronium ions when dissolved in an aqueous (water) solution

Arrhenius base

a substance that increases the concentration of hydroxide ions when dissolved in water

Brønsted-Lowry acid

a chemical species that acts as a proton donor

Brønsted-Lowry base

any species that accepts a proton during a chemical reaction

neutralization reaction

a chemical process where an acid and a base react to produce water and a salt

volumetric analysis

a quantitative laboratory method used to determine the unknown concentration or amount of a substance in a solution by measuring the volume of a standard reagent that reacts with it

titration

a quantitative analytical laboratory technique used to determine the unknown concentration (molar mass or molarity) of a solution by reacting it completely with a solution of known concentration

titrant

a solution of known concentration that is slowly added from a burette to an unknown solution during a titration

analyte

the specific substance or solution whose unknown concentration or amount is being measured during an analytical procedure like a titration

equivalence point

the exact moment in a titration when the moles of added titrant completely react with the analyte according to the exact stoichiometric ratio of the balanced chemical equation

indicator

a weak acid or weak base that changes color at a specific pH to signal the endpoint of a titration

endpoint

the observable physical event in a titration, usually a sudden color change from an indicator, that signals the equivalence point has been reached

acid-base titration

a lab method used to find the exact concentration of an unknown acid or base by reacting it completely with a solution of known concentration