IB Chemistry basic terms

Energy

the ability to move matter and do work

Macroscopic level

direct observation and measurement of physical properties

Matter

includes atoms, ions and molecules which have mass and volume

Mixture

has the properties of its components, and can be separated by physical processes

Particle level

interpretation in terms of atoms, molecules, ions and subatomic particles, e.g. electrons

State symbol

used in chemical equations to describe the physical state of a reactant or product

Symbolic level

representations of chemical phenomena using algebra, symbols, shapes and diagrams

Atom

the smallest particle of an element that can exist

Diatomic

made of two atoms bonded together (covalently)

Element

a substance (made of one type of atom) that cannot be decomposed into simpler, stable substances by a chemical change

Molecule

two or more different atoms bonded (covalently)

Compound

a substance containing two or more different elements chemically bonded in a fixed ratio

Ion

an electrically charged atom or group of atoms containing different numbers of protons and neutrons; formed by the loss or gain of electrons from an atom or group of bonded atoms