Core Chemistry Terms & Concepts

Foundational vocabulary and principles of chemistry including reaction kinetics, colligative properties, and intermolecular forces.

Activation Energy ($E_a$)

The minimum amount of energy required for a chemical reaction to occur.

Catalyst

A substance that increases the rate of a reaction by providing an alternative pathway with a lower activation energy, without being consumed in the overall reaction.

Reaction Mechanism

The series of elementary steps that make up an overall chemical reaction.

Rate Law

A mathematical expression that relates the rate of a reaction to the concentration of its reactants.

Van't Hoff Factor ($i$)

A measure of the effect of a solute on colligative properties, representing the number of particles a substance breaks into when dissolved.

Molality ($m$)

A concentration unit defined as moles of solute per kilogram of solvent ($mol/kg$).

Boiling Point Elevation ($\Delta T_b$)

The increase in the boiling point of a solvent upon the addition of a non-volatile solute, calculated as $\Delta T_b = K_b \cdot i \cdot m$.

Freezing Point Depression ($\Delta T_f$)

The decrease in the freezing point of a solvent upon the addition of a solute, calculated as $\Delta T_f = K_f \cdot i \cdot m$.

Vapor Pressure

The pressure exerted by a vapor in thermodynamic equilibrium with its condensed phases at a given temperature.

Viscosity

A measure of a fluid's resistance to flow, which increases with the strength of intermolecular forces.

Intermolecular Forces (IMFs)

The forces of attraction or repulsion which act between neighboring particles; in increasing order of strength (typically): London Dispersion Forces < Dipole-Dipole < Hydrogen Bonding.