Matter, Elements & Compounds, Symbols & Formulae, and Measurements

Vocabulary flashcards covering fundamental chemistry concepts of matter classification, chemical notation, and scientific measurements.

Matter

Anything that occupies space and has mass; exists as solid, liquid, or gas.

Element

Pure substance composed of only one type of atom (e.g., Mg, F₂, O₃).

Compound

Substance formed when two or more elements are chemically bonded (e.g., H₂O₂, AgNO₃).

Mixture

Impure matter containing two or more substances combined physically, not chemically.

Heterogeneous mixture

Mixture with non-uniform composition; immiscible, multiple phases, separable mechanically (e.g., suspensions, colloids).

Homogeneous mixture

Mixture with uniform composition; miscible, single phase, not separable by mechanical means (solution).

Atom

Smallest neutral particle of an element that can participate in a chemical reaction.

Molecule

Neutral particle composed of two or more atoms bonded together, of the same or different elements.

Ion

Charged particle formed from one atom or a group of atoms (e.g., K⁺, Cr₂O₇²⁻).

Physical property

Characteristic a substance shows by itself without changing composition (e.g., colour, density).

Chemical property

Characteristic observed when a substance changes composition or interacts with another substance (e.g., flammability).

Chemical symbol

One- or two-letter abbreviation for an element; first letter capitalised (e.g., Pt, F).

Chemical formula

Notation representing a compound using element symbols and numerical subscripts (e.g., H₂O, AgCl).

S.I. base unit

One of the seven fundamental measurement units (kg, m, s, K, A, mol, cd).

Derived unit

Measurement unit formed from combinations of base units (e.g., m s⁻¹ for velocity).

Scientific notation

Expression of numbers as A × 10ⁿ where 1 ≤ A < 10 and n is an integer.

Metric prefix

Prefix indicating power of ten multiplier (e.g., kilo 10³, micro 10⁻⁶).

Tera (T)

Prefix meaning 10¹² or one trillion.

Giga (G)

Prefix meaning 10⁹ or one billion.

Mega (M)

Prefix meaning 10⁶ or one million.

Kilo (k)

Prefix meaning 10³ or one thousand.

Centi (c)

Prefix meaning 10⁻² or one hundredth.

Milli (m)

Prefix meaning 10⁻³ or one thousandth.

Volume (liter)

Metric unit for volume; 1 L = 1 dm³ = 10⁻³ m³.

Volume (milliliter)

Metric unit for small volumes; 1 mL = 1 cm³ = 10⁻³ L.

Mass

Quantity of matter in an object; constant regardless of location, measured in kilograms.

Weight

Force exerted by gravity on mass; varies with gravitational field, measured in newtons.

Density

Intensive property equal to mass divided by volume (ρ = m/V).

Extensive property

Property that depends on the amount of substance (e.g., mass, volume).

Intensive property

Property independent of amount of substance (e.g., density).

Temperature

Measure of hotness or coldness; commonly expressed in °C, K, or °F.

Heat

Energy that flows due to temperature difference between substances.

Celsius–Kelvin conversion

T(°C) = T(K) − 273 and T(K) = T(°C) + 273.

Celsius–Fahrenheit conversion

T(°F) = (9/5) T(°C) + 32.

Fahrenheit–Celsius conversion

T(°C) = (T(°F) − 32) × 5/9.