AP Chem Master

AP Chemistry Master Terms-- to be updated as the year progresses

Compound

A substance formed from two or more elements chemically bonded in a fixed proportion.

Anion

Negative Ion

Cation

Positive Ion

Isotope

Atoms of the same element with differing numbers of neutrons, resulting in different atomic masses.

Avogadro’s Number

The number of particles, usually atoms or molecules, in one mole of a substance, approximately equal to 6.022 x 10^23.

Heterogeneous

mixtures that are not uniform in composition.

Homogeneous

mixtures that are uniform in composition.

Colloid

A type of mixture where tiny particles are dispersed in a substance and do not settle out, resulting in a cloudy appearance. (not dissolved)

Solution

A homogeneous mixture where one substance is dissolved in another, typically involving a solvent and a solute.

Anode

The positively charged electrode in an electrochemical cell where oxidation occurs. (attracts anions)

Cathode

The negatively charged electrode in an electrochemical cell where reduction occurs. (attracts cations)

Suspensions

Mixtures in which particles are dispersed throughout a liquid or gas but are not fully dissolved, often settling over time.

Emulsifier

A substance that helps stabilize mixtures of immiscible liquids.

Sublimation

The process where a solid turns directly into a gas without first becoming a liquid.

Deposition

The process where a gas turns directly into a solid without first becoming a liquid.

Physical Change

A change that alters a substance's appearance but not its chemical composition.

Chemical

A change that alters a substance's chemical composition, forming new substances.

Filtration

A process that separates solid particles from a fluid (liquid or gas) by passing the fluid through a porous material (filter). Particles larger than the filter's pores are retained.

Distillation

A process used to separate components of a liquid mixture based on differences in their boiling points. The mixture is heated, causing the component with the lower boiling point to vaporize, which is then cooled and condensed back into a liquid, separating it from the other components.

Chromatography

A method that separates components of a mixture by making them move at different speeds through a stationary substance using a moving solvent or gas.

Sedimentation

The process where solid particles in a liquid or gas settle to the bottom due to gravity.

Intensive Properties

Properties of matter that do not depend on the amount or quantity of the substance present. Examples include density, temperature, melting point, and boiling point.

Extensive Properties

Properties of matter that depend on the amount or quantity of the substance present. Examples include mass, volume, and total energy.

Precision

The closeness of multiple measurements to each other.

Accuracy

How close a measurement is to the true or accepted value.