Elements, Compounds and Mixtures

Vocabulary practice flashcards covering basic chemistry concepts including elements, compounds, mixtures, the properties of metals and non-metals, solutions, suspensions, and solubility.

Element

A pure substance that cannot be broken into any simpler substance by chemical process.

Monatomic elements

Elements or molecules of element consisting of only one atom.

Diatomic elements

Elements with $2$ atoms of the same type.

Triatomic elements

Elements with $3$ atoms of the same type.

Polyatomic elements

Elements with $4$ or more atoms of the same type.

Metals

Shiny elements that are good conductors of electricity and heat, malleable, ductile, and typically have high density and high melting/boiling points.

Non-metals

Dull elements that are poor conductors, brittle, and typically have low density and low melting/boiling points.

Metalloids

Elements that have properties of both metals and non-metals, such as Silicon and Boron.

Periods

Horizontal rows in the Periodic Table.

Group (or Family)

Vertical columns in the Periodic Table containing elements with similar chemical properties.

Chemical Formula

A representation of a chemical substance that tells the type of elements and the number of atoms for each element in a compound.

Compound

A pure substance formed when atoms of two or more elements are chemically joined together in a fixed ratio by mass.

Mixtures

Consist of different substances that are not chemically combined together and can be separated by physical methods.

Homogeneous mixture

A mixture that has uniform appearance and composition throughout, also referred to as a solution.

Heterogeneous mixture

A mixture that does not have the same composition and appearance throughout, where components are distinguishable.

Solution

A homogeneous mixture consisting of particles of two or more substances distributed evenly throughout.

Solute

The substance that is dissolved in another substance.

Solvent

The substance that dissolves another substance.

Aqueous solution

A solution in which the solvent is water.

Suspension

A mixture containing insoluble solid particles suspended in a medium such as air or water, where particles are large and clearly visible.

Concentration of solutions

A measure of the amount of solute dissolved in a given amount of solvent, calculated as $\text{Concentration (g/cm}^3\text{)} = \frac{\text{Mass of solute (g)}}{\text{Volume of solvent (cm}^3\text{)}}$.

Saturated solution

A solution that contains the maximum amount of dissolved solute in a given amount of solvent at a particular temperature.

Solubility

The maximum amount of solute which can dissolve in $100\,g$ of water at a fixed temperature.

Rate of dissolving

A measure of how fast a solute dissolves in a fixed amount of solvent completely, also called the rate of solvation or dissolution.

Solubility curve

A graph showing the maximum amount of a solute that can dissolve in $100\,g$ of water at various temperatures.