Chapter 1 - Composition of Matter Flashcards

A collection of vocabulary flashcards based on Chapter 1 - Composition of Matter, covering states of matter, classification of pure substances and mixtures, subatomic structure of the atom, and atomic mass concepts.

Matter

Anything that has mass and takes up space.

Solid

A state of matter with a fixed shape and fixed volume.

Liquid

A state of matter with a varying shape, but fixed volume, taking the shape of the bottom of a container.

Gas

A state of matter with a varying shape and volume, taking the shape of the entire container.

Pure Substances

Substances that have a fixed composition and a unique set of properties.

Elements

Pure substances that cannot be broken down into two or more pure substances, each having unique chemical properties.

Atomic Number

The identifying number for every element, representing the number of protons in the nucleus.

Atomic Weight

The average mass (or weight) of an element's multiple isotopes, taking into account the natural abundance of each isotope.

Compounds

Pure substances containing more than one element chemically bonded together in a fixed ratio.

Mixtures

Combinations of two or more substances combined in such a way that each substance retains its chemical identity.

Homogeneous Mixtures

Uniform mixtures whose different substances are blended consistently throughout.

Alloys

Homogeneous mixtures formed by the combination of 2 or more metals, made by humans to obtain properties superior to pure metals.

Solutions

Homogeneous mixtures made by dissolving a solute into a solvent.

Solvent

The major part of a solution, which is almost always a liquid.

Solute

The minor part of a solution, which can be a solid, liquid, or gas.

Heterogeneous Mixtures

Nonuniform mixtures whose different substances are not blended consistently throughout.

Atom

The smallest unit of matter that has the chemical properties of its element, originating from the Greek word 'atomos' meaning uncuttable.

Subatomic Particles

The smaller constituent particles of an atom, consisting of protons, neutrons, and electrons.

Proton

A subatomic particle located in the nucleus with symbol $p$, an electric charge of $+1$, and a mass of $1$.

Neutron

A subatomic particle located in the nucleus with symbol $n$, an electric charge of $0$, and a mass of $1$.

Electron

A subatomic particle located in the space surrounding the nucleus with symbol $e^-$, an electric charge of $-1$, and a mass of $\frac{1}{1840}$.

Isotopes

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

Mass Number

The mass of an individual isotope of an element, calculated as the sum of the number of protons and the number of neutrons.