Honors Chemistry Unit 2 Study Guide: Electrons and Periodic Table

These flashcards cover key vocabulary terms related to electrons and the periodic table as outlined in the study guide.

Amplitude

The height of a wave from the origin to a crest.

Frequency

The number of waves that pass a given point in one second.

Wavelength

The shortest distance between equivalent points on a continuous wave.

Velocity

The speed at which electromagnetic waves travel through space.

Electromagnetic Radiation

A type of energy that behaves as a wave and includes light, X-rays, radio waves, and microwaves.

Photon

A particle representing a quantum of light or other electromagnetic radiation.

Valence Electrons

Electrons in the outermost shell that determine an element's chemical activity.

Aufbau Principle

The principle that electrons occupy the lowest-energy orbitals first.

Pauli's Exclusion Principle

The principle stating that no two electrons can have the same set of quantum numbers.

Hund's Rule

The rule that electrons will occupy degenerate orbitals singly before pairing up.

Periodic Law

The law stating that the properties of elements are a periodic function of their atomic numbers.

Ionization Energy

The energy required to remove an electron from an atom or ion.

Electronegativity

A measure of the tendency of an atom to attract a bonding pair of electrons.

Atomic Radius

A measure of the size of an atom, typically measured from the nucleus to the outer electron cloud.

Isoelectronic

Atoms or ions that have the same electron configuration.

Noble Gases

Elements in group 18 that have a full valence shell and are generally unreactive.

Alkali Metals

Group 1 elements that are highly reactive and have one valence electron.

Alkaline Earth Metals

Group 2 elements that are reactive and have two valence electrons.

Halogens

Group 17 elements that are reactive nonmetals with seven valence electrons.

Metalloids

Elements with properties of both metals and nonmetals.