General Chemistry 1 – Chapter 1 Vocabulary

Vocabulary flashcards covering states of matter, properties, classification, and separation methods from Chapter 1 of General Chemistry 1.

Matter

Anything that occupies space and has mass.

Atom

The tiny particle that composes matter, consisting of electrons, protons, and neutrons.

Solid

State of matter with definite shape and definite volume; particles are closely packed and vibrate in fixed positions.

Liquid

State of matter with definite volume but no definite shape; particles can slide past one another and flow.

Gas

State of matter with no definite shape or volume; particles are far apart, move freely, and have high kinetic energy.

Physical Property

A characteristic that can be observed or measured without changing a substance’s composition.

Chemical Property

A characteristic that describes a substance’s ability to form new substances with different compositions.

Intensive Property

A physical property that does not depend on the amount of matter present (e.g., color, boiling point).

Extensive Property

A physical property that depends on the amount of matter present (e.g., mass, volume).

Color

Perception of different spectra of light by the eye; an intensive physical property.

Odor

The smell of a substance detected by olfactory receptors; an intensive property.

Taste

The sensation of sweetness, sourness, saltiness, bitterness, or umami detected by taste buds.

Hardness

Ability of a material to resist scratching.

Melting Point

Temperature at which a solid changes to a liquid.

Boiling Point

Temperature at which a liquid changes to a gas.

Solubility

Ability of a substance to dissolve in another substance.

Luster

The way a metal’s surface reflects light; shine.

Malleability

Ability of a metal to be hammered into sheets without breaking.

Ductility

Ability of a metal to be drawn into thin wires.

Brittleness

Tendency of a material to break when a small force is applied.

Density

Mass per unit volume of a substance.

Flammability

Ability of matter to burn in the presence of oxygen.

Reactivity

Tendency of a substance to chemically combine with another.

Pure Substance

Matter that has a constant composition and cannot be separated by physical means; includes elements and compounds.

Element

A pure substance made of only one kind of atom.

Compound

A pure substance composed of two or more kinds of atoms chemically bonded in fixed proportions.

Metal

Lustrous element that is malleable, ductile, solid (mostly), hard, dense, and a good conductor of heat and electricity.

Nonmetal

Element that is dull, brittle, has low density, and is a poor conductor of heat and electricity.

Metalloid

Element exhibiting properties intermediate between metals and nonmetals (e.g., boron, silicon).

Mixture

Combination of two or more substances that are not chemically combined.

Homogeneous Mixture

Mixture with a single phase and uniform composition throughout; components are not distinguishable.

Heterogeneous Mixture

Mixture with two or more phases; components may be visibly distinguishable.

Filtration

Separation technique for an insoluble solid–liquid mixture using a filtering medium.

Residue

Solid component trapped on the filter during filtration.

Filtrate

Liquid that passes through the filter paper during filtration.

Sedimentation

Process where heavier solid particles settle to the bottom of a liquid.

Decantation

Pouring off the clear liquid above settled solids after sedimentation.

Sublimation

Separation method using a solid’s ability to change directly to gas (e.g., naphthalene from salt).

Evaporation

Technique to recover a soluble solid from a liquid by vaporizing the liquid.

Distillation

Separation of two miscible liquids with different boiling points through evaporation and condensation.

Chromatography

Method that separates mixture components based on their movement through a stationary phase with a mobile phase.