Basic Chemistry Lecture Notes

Vocabulary terms and definitions from the Basic Chemistry review lecture focusing on the properties of elements, atomic structure, types of chemical bonds, and compound classifications.

Element

Matter and a pure substance that cannot be broken down, occupying space with a specific mass and possessing physical and chemical properties unique to each element.

Metals

The majority of elements on the periodic table characterized as lustrous and shiny; examples include iron, gold, and copper.

Non-metals

The non-majority of elements on the periodic table; examples include Oxygen, hydrogen, and sulfur.

Metalloids

Elements with properties of both metals and non-metals, such as silicon and boron.

Atom

The smallest particle of an element, containing a center nucleus with protons and neutrons, surrounded by electrons.

Electrically neutral atom

An atom that contains the same number of protons and electrons.

Atomic number

Defined by the number of protons in an atom, which defines the element.

Atomic mass

The total count of protons and neutrons within an atom.

Isotopes

Atoms of the same element that have different numbers of neutrons; an example is carbon-14, which is radioactive.

Chemical compound

A new substance formed when atoms of $2$ or more elements react with one another.

Chemical reaction

A process that changes some chemical substances into another.

Valence electrons (VE)

Electrons located in the outer level of an atom whose interaction causes atoms to bond.

Covalent bonds

Bonds formed when atoms share electrons to fill their outer level, resulting in substances like $H_2O$.

Ionic Bonds

Bonds resulting from opposite charges between ions, created when an atom gains or loses at least one electron.

Ion

An atom that has gained or lost at least one electron and became charged.

Hydrogen Bonds

Bonds formed between hydrogen atoms and other atoms due to the unequal sharing of electrons, causing water to stick to things.

Metallic Bonds

Bonds where valence electrons are shared among many atoms instead of just one, creating many electrons that hold the atoms together.

Van der Waals forces

Temporary fluctuations in electron distributions in atoms that result in temporary positive and negative charged forces.

Organic compounds

Compounds found in living organisms that contain the elements carbon and hydrogen, often held together by covalent bonds, such as glucose used for energy.

Inorganic compounds

Compounds that do not contain both carbon and hydrogen.

Mixture

A combination of more than one chemical substance that does not have separation without a chemical composition.

Molecule

A chemical structure formed when atoms share electrons.