Basic Chemistry

What is matter?

Anything that occupies space and has mass.

What is an element?

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

What is a compound?

A substance containing two or more elements chemically combined in a fixed ratio.

What is an atom?

The smallest particle of an element that retains the properties of the element.

What is a proton?

A subatomic particle having a positive charge; found in the nucleus.

What is an electron?

A subatomic particle having a negative charge; not in the nucleus but surrounds it.

What is a neutron?

A subatomic particle without a charge; found in the nucleus.

What is the nucleus of an atom?

Protons and neutrons together; it makes up the center of an atom.

What does the atomic number indicate?

It identifies a specific element; equals the number of protons in an atom of each element.

What is a radioactive isotope?

An unstable atom in which the nucleus decays, releasing particles and energy.

What is an isotope?

Atoms having the same numbers of protons but different numbers of neutrons.

What is an ionic bond?

Occurs when atoms transfer electrons to other atoms.

What is an ion?

Atoms that have lost or gained electrons.

What is a covalent bond?

Occurs when atoms share electrons.

What is a molecule?

Atoms that are held together by covalent bonds.

What is a chemical reaction?

Interaction of substances that leads to the formation of new substances.

What is a reactant?

The starting materials for a reaction; found on the left side of a chemical equation.

What is a product?

Ending materials of a reaction; found on the right side of a chemical equation.

What is an organic compound?

A substance made of two or more elements, one being carbon.

What is an inorganic compound?

A substance made of two or more elements, none of which is carbon.

What are valence electrons?

Electrons in the outermost energy level; they are involved in bond formation.

What is a single bond?

A covalent bond in which one pair of electrons is shared.

What is a double bond?

A covalent bond in which four valence electrons are shared between two atoms.

What is a chemical formula?

Indicates the number and types of atoms in a molecule.

What is a structural formula?

Shows the number and types of atoms in a molecule and how they are arranged.

What does a chemical reaction indicate?

The formation of new substances from previous substances through the breaking and forming of chemical bonds, resulting in a change in molecular structure.