Physical and Chemical Properties and Changes Test Review

These flashcards cover key concepts related to physical and chemical properties and changes, as well as important definitions, examples, and laws.

Element

The building block of all matter, made up of one kind of atom.

Chemical Symbol

A representation of elements using one or two letters, with the first letter capitalized and the second letter lowercase if present.

Molecule

A combination of two or more elements chemically bonded together.

Physical Property

A characteristic that can be observed or measured without changing the identity of the substance.

Chemical Property

A characteristic that can be observed or measured resulting in a change of the substance.

Physical Change

A change that does not affect the chemical makeup of a substance.

Chemical Change

A change that results in a new substance being formed.

Law of Conservation of Matter

Matter cannot be created nor destroyed, only transformed.

Law of Conservation of Mass

The mass of reactants in a chemical equation is equal to the mass of the products.

Chemical Equation

A symbolic representation of a chemical reaction.

Reactant

The starting materials in a chemical reaction, found on the left side of the equation.

Product

The ending materials in a chemical reaction, found on the right side of the equation.

Exothermic Reaction

A chemical reaction that releases heat as bonds between substances form.

Endothermic Reaction

A chemical reaction that absorbs heat from the surroundings.