General Chemistry 1 – Laboratory, Measurement & Matter Vocabulary

A comprehensive set of vocabulary flashcards covering laboratory equipment, measurement concepts, matter properties, phase changes, bonding, and mixture separation techniques from the General Chemistry 1 lecture notes.

Balance

Instrument used to measure mass.

Analytical Balance

High-precision balance that is tared before weighing a sample.

Triple Beam Balance

Mechanical balance; zero scale, add sample, slide weights and sum readings to obtain mass.

Graduated Cylinder

Tall glass/plastic cylinder used to measure liquid volume; read at eye level at bottom of meniscus.

Pipette

Glass or plastic tube that transfers precise liquid volumes using a filler to reach a calibration mark.

Burette

Graduated glass tube with stopcock that dispenses precise volumes during titrations.

Beaker

Wide-mouthed glass container for general mixing, heating, or holding liquids.

Erlenmeyer Flask

Conical flask for mixing or swirling liquids without spilling.

Volumetric Flask

Flask calibrated to contain a single precise volume of liquid.

Test Tube

Small cylindrical tube used for conducting small-scale reactions.

Petri Dish

Shallow dish used to culture microorganisms.

Bunsen Burner

Gas burner that provides a direct flame for heating.

Hot Plate

Flat electric device that offers controlled surface heating.

Water Bath

Container of heated water that provides gentle, uniform warming.

Stirring Rod

Glass rod used for manual stirring of solutions.

Magnetic Stirrer

Device that spins a magnetic bar inside a vessel for automated stirring.

Vortex Mixer

Equipment that rapidly agitates small tubes to mix contents.

Centrifuge

Machine that separates mixtures by density through rapid spinning; tubes must be balanced.

Filtration Apparatus

Setup (funnel + filter paper) that separates solids from liquids.

Chromatography

Technique that separates mixture components based on differing affinities for stationary and mobile phases.

Microscope

Instrument that magnifies small specimens for observation.

Spectrophotometer

Device that measures light absorbance to determine concentration.

pH Meter

Electronic probe that measures acidity or alkalinity of a solution.

Safety Goggles

Eyewear that protects eyes from chemical splashes.

Lab Coat

Protective garment that shields body and clothing from hazards.

Fume Hood

Ventilated enclosure that removes hazardous vapors and gases.

Eyewash Station

Emergency fixture for rinsing chemicals from the eyes.

Desiccator

Sealed container that keeps samples in a moisture-free environment.

Ultrasonic Cleaner

Device that uses high-frequency sound waves for deep cleaning of equipment.

Autoclave

Pressurized steam chamber used to sterilize equipment and media.

Ring Stand

Vertical support rod used with clamps to hold apparatus.

Clamp

Accessory that secures laboratory glassware to a support stand.

Tongs

Tool for safely grasping hot glassware or crucibles.

Accuracy

Closeness of a measurement to the true or accepted value.

Precision

Closeness of repeated measurements to one another.

Systematic Error

Consistent deviation caused by instrument or method faults; affects accuracy.

Random Error

Unpredictable variation that affects precision.

Percent Error

Metric for accuracy: |measured – true| ÷ true × 100%.

Percent Difference

Metric for precision between two measured values.

Matter

Anything that has mass and occupies space.

Atom

Smallest unit of an element that retains chemical properties.

Nucleus

Central region of an atom containing protons and neutrons.

Proton

Positively charged particle in the atomic nucleus.

Neutron

Neutral particle in the atomic nucleus.

Electron

Negatively charged particle orbiting the nucleus.

Solid

State of matter with fixed shape and volume.

Liquid

State of matter with fixed volume but variable shape.

Gas

State of matter with neither fixed shape nor fixed volume.

Physical Property

Characteristic observed without changing composition (e.g., density, color).

Chemical Property

Characteristic describing how a substance reacts with others (e.g., flammability).

Element

Pure substance made of one kind of atom.

Compound

Substance composed of two or more elements chemically combined.

Homogeneous Mixture

Mixture with uniform composition throughout; components not visibly distinct.

Heterogeneous Mixture

Mixture with non-uniform composition; components visibly distinct.

Melting

Phase change from solid to liquid; endothermic.

Freezing

Phase change from liquid to solid; exothermic.

Vaporization

Phase change from liquid to gas; endothermic.

Condensation

Phase change from gas to liquid; exothermic.

Sublimation

Phase change from solid directly to gas; endothermic.

Deposition

Phase change from gas directly to solid; exothermic.

Ionization

Phase change from gas to plasma; endothermic energy input removes electrons.

Recombination

Phase change from plasma to gas; exothermic as ions gain electrons.

Endothermic Process

Process that absorbs heat from surroundings; system gains energy.

Exothermic Process

Process that releases heat to surroundings; system loses energy.

Metal

Element that is lustrous, malleable, and a good conductor of heat and electricity.

Non-metal

Element that is dull, brittle, and a poor conductor (insulator).

Metalloid

Element with intermediate, semiconducting properties between metals and non-metals.

Organic Compound

Chemical compound containing carbon, usually with hydrogen; chiefly covalent.

Inorganic Compound

Compound generally lacking carbon; may be ionic or covalent.

Ionic Bond

Chemical bond formed by transfer of electrons between a metal and a non-metal.

Covalent Bond

Chemical bond formed by sharing electron pairs between non-metals.

Solubility

Ability of a substance to dissolve in a solvent forming a homogeneous solution.

Insoluble

Describes a substance that does not dissolve significantly in a given solvent.

Miscible

Two liquids that mix in any proportion to form a single phase.

Immiscible

Two liquids that do not mix and form separate layers.

Filtration

Separation technique removing insoluble solids from liquids using filter paper.

Evaporation

Technique that separates a soluble solid from a liquid by vaporizing the solvent.

Distillation

Separation technique based on differences in boiling points of components.

Simple Distillation

Distillation used when component boiling points differ widely.

Fractional Distillation

Distillation using a fractionating column for components with close boiling points.

Magnetic Separation

Method that removes magnetic materials from a mixture using a magnet.

Sieving

Separation of particles by size using a mesh or sieve.

Decantation

Pouring off liquid to separate it from settled solids.

Sedimentation

Process where solids settle to the bottom of a liquid before decanting.

Separating Funnel

Glass apparatus used to drain denser liquid from immiscible liquid mixtures.

Manual Separation

Handpicking components based on visible differences such as color or size.