Intro to Chemistry Flashcards

What is Chemistry?

The study of composition, properties, and interactions of matter

What is matter?

Matter is anything that occupies space or has mass

What are the states of matter?

Solid, liquid, gas, and plasma

What is plasma?

ionized gas that contains large numbers of electrically charged/atoms and molecules

What is the scientific method?

process of asking questions, forming and testing hypothesis, and using results to develop or refine theories

What are the steps in the scientific method?

1. Observation

2. Hypothesis

3. Experiment

4. Conclusion

What is a hypothesis?

An educated or scientific guess that serves as an explanation

What is an observation?

facts or ideas that are analyzed and must be explained

(natural law)

What is an experiment?

A procedure used to test hypothesis

What is a conclusion?

explanation or summary of observation repeatedly validated by the experiments that support hypothesis

How do you calculate a percentage?

1. Dividing by total (whole)

2. Multiplying by 100

What are the steps to solving equations?

1. Combine like terms

2. isolate the variable

What is Scientific Notation?

a method of expressing numbers that are large or small in quantity

What is the general form of scientific notation?

A x 10 ^ n

How do you do scientific notation?

1. Move the decimal point after the first nonzero digit

2. Count the number of places the decimal moves (this will be the exponent)

Where does decimal move when numbers are less than 1?

To the left

When a decimal is moved to the left, what happens to the exponent?

It becomes negative

When a decimal moves to the right, what happens to the exponent?

It becomes positive

How do you do calculations with scientific notation when you have to divide or multiply?

1. Change number to exponential form

2. Multiply or divide COEFFICIENTS (not exponents)

3. Add/subtract exponents

4. If needed, reconstruct answer in standard exponential form (1.1 × 10 ^1)

How do you do calculations with scientific notation when you have to add or subtract?

1. Change number to exponential form

2. Change coefficients so exponents can match each other

3. Add or subtract COEFFICIENTS (not exponents)

4. Exponents kept the same

5. If needed, reconstruct answer in standard exponential form (1.1 × 10 ^1)