Lecture on Matter, Elements, and Chemical Bonds

A collection of flashcards covering key concepts related to matter, elements, atomic structure, and chemical bonding.

Matter

Anything that occupies space; composed of different forms.

Elements

Substances that cannot be broken down into simpler substances by chemical means.

Chemical Bond

The force of attraction between two atoms that allows them to join and form a molecule.

Atom

The smallest unit of an element, consisting of protons, neutrons, and electrons.

Proton

A subatomic particle with a positive charge found in the nucleus of an atom.

Neutron

A subatomic particle with no charge, found in the nucleus of an atom.

Electron

A negatively charged subatomic particle that orbits the nucleus of an atom.

Atomic Number

The number of protons in the nucleus of an atom, which defines the element.

Chemical Symbol

A shorthand notation used to represent an element, such as H for hydrogen.

Atomic Mass

The sum of the number of protons and neutrons in an atom.

Isotope

Atoms of the same element that have different numbers of neutrons.

Molecule

A substance formed by two or more atoms bonded together by covalent bonds.

Compound

A substance formed by atoms from two or more elements, bonded by ionic or covalent bonds.

Ionic Bond

A type of bond formed when one atom loses an electron and another gains an electron, leading to attraction between oppositely charged ions.

Covalent Bond

A chemical bond formed by the sharing of valence electrons between two atoms.

Nonpolar Covalent Bond

A bond where electrons are shared equally between two atoms, resulting in no partial charges.

Polar Covalent Bond

A bond where electrons are shared unequally, resulting in partial charges.

Hydrogen Bond

A weak bond between a slightly positive area and a slightly negative area of a polar molecule.

Chemical Reaction

Occurs when bonds between atoms form or break, yielding new combinations of atoms.

Inorganic Compounds

Compounds that do not contain both carbon and hydrogen.

Organic Compounds

Compounds that always contain carbon and hydrogen, often also oxygen.

Electrolytes

Ionic compounds that dissociate in water, releasing ions and conducting electrical current.

Acids

Substances that increase the hydrogen ion concentration of a solution by releasing H+.

Bases

Substances that decrease the concentration of H+ in a solution by combining with H+.

pH Scale

A measure indicating the acidity or alkalinity of a solution, ranging from 0 to 14.

Buffers

Chemicals that can either pick up or release H+ to keep a solution's pH constant.

Salts

Ionic compounds that dissociate in water but do not produce H+ or OH- ions.

Dehydration Synthesis

A chemical process that removes water to join molecules together.

Hydrolysis

A chemical process that adds water to break apart molecules.