General Chemistry and Properties of Water Vocabulary

Vocabulary flashcards covering chemical reaction terms, chemical bonds, and unique properties of water based on Chapter 1 and Chapter 2 lecture notes.

Reactant

The starting material in a chemical reaction whose chemical bonds are broken during the process.

Product

The resulting substance produced at the end of a chemical reaction after new chemical bonds are established.

Catalyst

A substance, typically a protein in cellular biological processes, that facilitates and enables a chemical reaction to proceed.

Octet Rule

The chemical principle stating that atoms engage in chemical reactions to fill their outermost electron shell in order to achieve stability.

Ionic Bond

A chemical bond formed when an electron is transferred from one atom to another, producing positively and negatively charged ions that attract each other.

Ion

An atom that carries a net positive or negative charge as a result of losing or gaining one or more electrons.

Covalent Bond

A strong chemical bond formed when two atoms share one or more pairs of electrons to satisfy their outer electron shells.

Polar Covalent Bond

A type of covalent bond where shared electrons spend disproportionate time around one nucleus over another, creating partial positive and partial negative charges on the molecule.

Nonpolar Covalent Bond

A type of covalent bond in which shared electrons are distributed equally between atoms, resulting in no net charge or polarity across the molecule.

Hydrogen Bond

A weak attractive force between the partial negative portion of one polar molecule (such as oxygen) and the partial positive hydrogen portion of a neighboring polar molecule.

Hydrocarbon

An energy-rich compound composed entirely of carbon and hydrogen atoms bonded together by nonpolar covalent bonds.

Solute

A substance, such as salt or sugar, that is added to and dissolved by a solvent.

Solvent

The liquid medium, such as water, that dissolves solutes to produce a chemical solution.

Solution

A uniform liquid mixture formed when a polar or charged solute dissolves within a solvent.

Cohesion

The property causing molecules of the same substance to stick together, such as water molecules forming hydrogen bonds with neighboring water molecules.

Adhesion

The property causing water molecules to stick to different polar molecules or surfaces.

Surface Tension

The enhanced cohesive force between liquid water molecules at the air-water interface, creating a film strong enough to support light, nonpolar objects.

Capillary Action

The upward movement of liquid against the force of gravity through narrow channels due to the combined forces of adhesion and cohesion.

Meniscus

The curved upper surface of a liquid column inside a container formed by the balance of cohesion among liquid molecules and adhesion to the walls.

Xylem

The vascular passageway in plants that transports water vertically from the soil and root system up to the canopy using capillary action.

High Heat Capacity

The property of water requiring significant heat energy input to alter its temperature because energy is initially used up breaking hydrogen bonds.