General Chemistry Foundations

Vocabulary flashcards covering core principles of matter, physical and chemical properties, SI units, unit conversions, and significant figures based on the general chemistry lectures.

Chemistry

The study of matter and its properties.

Matter

Anything that has mass and occupies space.

Elements

Substances that combine to make up matter.

Atoms

The smallest building blocks of matter.

Property

Any characteristic that allows us to recognize a type of matter.

Molecule

Two or more atoms joined together in a specific shape.

Gas

A state of matter with no fixed volume or shape that takes the shape of its container, consisting of molecules that are fairly far apart.

Liquid

A state of matter with a fixed volume but no fixed shape, consisting of molecules that are close together.

Solid

A state of matter with a fixed or definite volume and shape, consisting of molecules that are closest together.

Fluid states

The gas and liquid states of matter.

Substance

Matter with distinct properties and composition.

Mixture

Matter composed of two or more substances in which each substance retains its individual identity.

Law of constant composition

The principle that the composition or makeup of a compound is always the same.

Heterogeneous mixture

A mixture that varies in composition throughout, such as granite.

Homogeneous mixture

A mixture that is uniform in composition throughout, such as a copper solution.

Chemical property

A characteristic observed by changing or reacting a substance to form another substance, such as flammability.

Physical property

A characteristic observed without changing the identity or composition of a substance, such as color or density.

Chemical change

A change in which a different substance is formed, often indicated by visual signs like bubbles or a color change.

Physical change

A change that alters appearance but not chemical composition.

Intensive property

A property that does not depend on the amount of matter present, such as the freezing temperature of water.

Extensive property

A property that depends on the amount of matter present, such as mass.

Fahrenheit to Celsius Formula

$C = \frac{5}{9}(F - 32)$.

Celsius to Fahrenheit Formula

$$F = \frac{9}{5}(C) + 32$$

Celsius to Kelvin Formula

$K = C + 273.15$.

Energy

The capacity to do work or transfer heat.

Work

Energy transferred when a force exerted on an object displaces the object.

Heat

Energy transferred to change the temperature of an object.

Force

A push or pull exerted on an object.

Kinetic Energy

The energy of motion, calculated as $E_k = \frac{1}{2}(\text{mass})(\text{velocity})^2$.

Potential Energy

Stored energy.

Electrostatic attraction

The attractive force between matter of opposite electric charges.

meter (m)

length

gram (g)

mass

kelvin (K)

temperature

seconds (s)

time

mole (mol)

amount of something

ampere (amp)

unit of electric current

candela (cd)

unit of luminous intensity

Metric Prefix Mega- (M)

$10^6$ or $1{,}000{,}000$.

Metric Prefix Kilo- (k)

$10^3$ or $1000$.

Metric Prefix Deci- (d)

$10^{-1}$ or $0.1$.

Metric Prefix Centi- ($c$)

$10^{-2}$ or $0.01$.

Metric Prefix Milli- (m)

$10^{-3}$ or $0.001$.

Metric Prefix Micro- ($\mu$)

$10^{-6}$ or $0.000001$.

Metric Prefix Nano- (n)

$10^{-9}$ or $0.000000001$.

Joule

An SI unit of energy ($J$).

Calorie

A unit of energy ($cal$) where $1\,cal = 4.184\,J$.

Density

A physical property calculated as $\text{Density} = \frac{\text{mass}}{\text{volume}}$.

Precision

A measure of how close individual measurements are to one another.

Accuracy

A measure of how close measurements are to the true or correct value.

Significant figures

All the digits of a measured quantity, including certain and estimated digits.

Significant Figures Addition and Subtraction Rule

Rule stating that the calculated result must have the same number of decimal places as the measurement with the fewest number of decimal places.

Significant Figures Multiplication and Division Rule

Rule stating that the calculated result must have the same number of significant figures as the measurement with the fewest significant figures.

Empirical formula

A chemical formula that gives the relative numbers of atoms in a molecule, expressed in the smallest possible whole number ratio.

Dalton’s Atomic Theory

1. Each element is composed of very small particles called atoms

2. All atoms of a given element are identical, but atoms of different elements are different from every other element.

3. Atoms are neither created nor destroyed in chemical reactions

4. Compounds are formed when atoms of more than one element combine; a given compound always has the same composition (the type of elements and the number of each atom in the compound are the same)

Law of multiple proportions

if 2 elements (A + B) combine to form more than one compound, the masses are in ratios of small whole numbers

           Ex. Water (H2O) 2:1, hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) 1:1

Subatomic particles of atoms

protons, neutrons, and electrons

Protons

positive charge (+1), 1.0073 or 1 amu

Electrons

negative charge (-1), 0 amu

Neutrons

neutral charge (0), 1.0087 or 1 amu

Where is all the mass of an atom contained?

The nucleus (protons and neutrons)

All atoms are electrically _______ in their native state

neutral

Atomic number shows

the number of protons

Atomic mass - atomic number =

number of neutrons

In an atoms native state, there is no charge so…

the number of protons equals the number of electrons.

Sometimes changing the number of neutrons in an atom you can _____

alter the atom’s stability and radioactivity

Atomic weight

is the average mass of an atom, calculated based on the relative abundance of its isotopes. [(isotope mass)*(fractional isotope abundance)]

isotopes

are variants of a chemical element that have the same number of protons but different numbers of neutrons, resulting in different mass numbers.

Vertical Columns on the Periodic Table

Groups or families, where elements share similar properties and behaviors.

Rows on the Periodic Table

Periods, show size of different atoms (as you go down they get larger)

Molecular Formula

gives the exact/actual number of each atom in a molecule

Ex. C₂H₄

Ions

when an atom has gained or lost electron(s) and has a net electric charge

cation

a positively charged ion formed when an atom loses one or more electrons.

anion

a negatively charged ion formed when an atom gains one or more electrons.