Chapter 2: Matter and States of Matter (Vocabulary Flashcards)

Vocabulary flashcards focusing on key terms related to matter, energy, and states of matter from Part 1 of Chapter 2.

Matter

Anything that has mass and occupies space; made of atoms and molecules and includes both living and nonliving things.

Mass

A measure of the amount of matter in an object.

Volume

The amount of space that a substance or object occupies.

Atom

The basic unit of an element; the building block of matter.

Molecule

Two or more atoms bonded together to form a unit of a substance.

Element

A pure substance that cannot be broken down into simpler substances by chemical means; made of one type of atom.

Compound

A pure substance formed when two or more elements are chemically combined in a fixed ratio; can be separated only by chemical means.

Pure substance

Matter with a uniform composition and consistent properties; either an element or a compound.

Mixture

Two or more substances physically combined with variable composition; can be separated by physical means.

Homogeneous mixture

Mixture with uniform composition; components are not visually distinguishable but can be separated physically.

Heterogeneous mixture

Mixture with nonuniform composition; components are visibly distinguishable and separable.

Physical property

Observable or measurable property of matter without changing its identity (e.g., color, density, melting point).

Chemical property

Property describing how a substance reacts to form new substances; involves chemical change.

Density

Mass per unit volume; a physical property used to identify substances.

Melting point

Temperature at which a solid changes to a liquid.

Boiling point

Temperature at which a liquid changes to a gas.

Viscosity

Resistance to flow; how thick or thin a liquid is (e.g., molasses vs water).

Phase change

Transition between solid, liquid, and gas that changes appearance but not identity or composition.

Solid

A state of matter with a definite shape and volume; particles are tightly packed and vibrate.

Liquid

A state of matter with a definite volume but no definite shape; adapts to the container.

Gas

A state of matter with no definite volume or shape; expands to fill the space available.

Crystalline solid

A solid with a regular, repeating lattice arrangement of particles.

Amorphous solid

A solid with particles not in a regular lattice; less ordered and often softer with lower melting points.

Sublimation

Phase change from solid directly to gas, skipping the liquid phase.

Deposition

Phase change from gas directly to solid, skipping the liquid phase.

Electrolysis

Chemical process using electrical energy to split a compound into its elements.

Filtration

Physical separation method that uses a barrier to separate solids from liquids based on particle size.

Chromatography

Physical method to separate components of a mixture based on differential movement on a medium.