Genchem(2)

Vocabulary flashcards summarizing historical discoveries, fundamental chemical laws, atomic structure, atomic and mass numbers, isotopes, and nomenclature rules based on the General Chemistry lecture transcript.

Robert Boyle

Anglo-Irish philosopher who published The Sceptical Chymist in 1661 and defined the element as the simplest composition of matter.

Element (Boyle's Definition)

The simplest composition of matter, whose atoms can combine to form different compounds.

Joseph Priestly

Scientist who discovered oxygen in 1774 by isolating oxygen gas, which he called dephlogisticated air.

Antoine-Laurent Lavoisier

Known as the Father of the Modern Chemistry; proposed the Law of Conservation of Mass in 1774.

Law of Conservation of Mass

States that in a chemical reaction, the mass of the substances produced is equal to the mass of the substances reacted.

Joseph-Louis Proust

French chemist who conducted experiments on the composition of water and copper carbonate (1798-1804) and formulated the Law of Definite Proportions.

Law of Definite Proportions

Also known as Law of Definite Composition, states that any sample of a given compound will always be composed of the same elements in the same proportion by mass.

John Dalton

Chemist who proposed the Law of Multiple Proportions in 1808 and developed the Solid Sphere Model of the atom.

Law of Multiple Proportions

States that for elements that can form different compounds, masses of the 2nd element that combine with a fixed mass of the 1st element are in a ratio of small whole numbers.

Whilhelm Conrad Roentgen

Father of Radiology who discovered X-rays in 1895.

Amtoine Henri Becqueral

Scientist who discovered radioactivity in 1896 by accidentally finding that uranium salts emitted penetrating radiation.

Joseph John Thomson

Scientist who discovered the electron in 1897 using cathode ray tube experiments and proposed the Raisin Bun or Plum Pudding Model.

Robert Millikan

Scientist who conducted the oil drop experiment to determine the magnitude of the elementary electric charge of a single electron.

Ernest Rutherford

New Zealand-born British physicist who discovered alpha and beta rays (1899), the nucleus of the atom (1911), and the proton (1920).

James Chadwick

Scientist who discovered the neutron in 1935.

Electron Relative Mass

Extremely small subatomic particle located outside the nucleus, with approximately $\frac{1}{2000}$th the mass of a proton or neutron.

Solid Sphere Model

The atomic model proposed by John Dalton.

Plum Pudding Model

Also known as the Raisin Bun Model, J.J. Thomson's atomic model consisting of electrons embedded in a spherical cloud of positive charge.

Nuclear Model

Ernest Rutherford's atomic model depicting electrons surrounding a central nucleus.

Atomic Number ($Z$)

Represents the number of protons in the nucleus of an atom, which also specifies the number of electrons in an electrically neutral atom.

Mass Number ($A$)

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

Isotopes

Atoms of an element having the same atomic number but different mass numbers; derived from the Greek isos and topos meaning 'the same place'.

Frederick Soddy

British chemist who introduced the term isotope.

Radioisotope

An unstable isotope whose nucleus can change its composition, producing radiation as it breaks down.

Naturally Occurring Monoatomic Elements

The six elements that exist naturally as single atoms: Helium, Neon, Argon, Krypton, Xenon, and Radon.

Molecule

A combination of at least two atoms in a definite proportion, bound together by covalent bonds.

Ion

An electrically charged particle formed when neutral atoms gain or lose one or more electrons.

Cation

A positively charged ion formed when an atom (typically a metal) loses one or more electrons.

Anion

A negatively charged ion formed when an atom (typically a nonmetal) gains one or more electrons.

Monoatomic Anion Naming Rule

Named by attaching the suffix -ide to the root name of the nonmetal.

Nonmetal Root: Flour-

The root used in naming monoatomic anions of Flourine.

Classical Suffix -ic

Added to the Latin root of a metal ion to designate the cation with the higher charge.

Classical Suffix -ous

Added to the Latin root of a metal ion to designate the cation with the lower charge.

Oxyanion

A polyatomic anion that contains oxygen.

Oxyanion Suffix -ate

The standard form used for an oxyanion containing more oxygen atoms than the -ite form.

Oxyanion Suffix -ite

Used for an oxyanion containing one less oxygen atom than the standard -ate form.

Oxyanion Prefix per-

Added to the -ate form to denote an oxyanion with one more oxygen atom than the standard form, such as $ClO_4^-$ (perchlorate).

Oxyanion Prefix hypo-

Added to the -ite form to denote an oxyanion with two less oxygen atoms than the standard -ate form, such as $ClO^-$ (hypochlorite).

Nitrate Ion vs Nitrite Ion

$NO_3^-$ is the nitrate ion (standard -ate form), whereas $NO_2^-$ is the nitrite ion (one less oxygen atom).

Sulfate Ion vs Sulfite Ion

$SO_4^{2-}$ is the sulfate ion (standard -ate form), whereas $SO_3^{2-}$ is the sulfite ion (one less oxygen atom).

Ferrous vs Ferric

Classical names for Iron cations: Ferrous represents $Fe^{2+}$ (Iron(II)), while Ferric represents $Fe^{3+}$ (Iron(III)).

Cuprous vs Cupric

Classical names for Copper cations: Cuprous represents $Cu^+$ (Copper(I)), while Cupric represents $Cu^{2+}$ (Copper(II)).

Plumbous vs Plumbic

Classical names for Lead cations: Plumbous represents $Pb^{2+}$ (Lead(II)), while Plumbic represents $Pb^{4+}$ (Lead(IV)).

Stannous vs Stannic

Classical names for Tin cations: Stannous represents $Sn^{2+}$ (Tin(II)), while Stannic represents $Sn^{4+}$ (Tin(IV)).