Chapter 2: The Chemical Context of Life

Vocabulary flashcards covering basic chemistry concepts, elements, and atomic structure.

Matter

Anything that takes up space and has mass.

Element

A substance that cannot be broken down to other substances by chemical reactions.

Compound

A substance consisting of two or more different elements combined in a fixed ratio.

Essential elements

Elements that an organism needs to live a healthy life and reproduce.

Trace elements

Elements required by an organism in only minute quantities.

Atom

The smallest unit of matter that still retains the properties of an element.

Protons

Subatomic particles with a positive charge.

Electrons

Subatomic particles with a negative charge.

Neutrons

Subatomic particles that are neutral (no charge).

Atomic Nucleus

The dense core of an atom, consisting of protons and neutrons.

Atomic number

The number of protons in the nucleus of an atom, unique for each element.

Mass number

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

Atomic mass

An atom's total mass, often approximated by the mass number.

Isotopes

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