ACE GENERAL CHEMISTRY

A set of practice flashcards for General Chemistry I and II, covering key terms, definitions, and fundamental concepts.

Chemistry

The branch of science concerned with the understanding of matter and its properties.

Matter

Anything that has mass and takes up space.

Physical Property

Characteristics that can be measured and observed without changing the chemical makeup of the substance.

Chemical Property

Any property that becomes evident during a chemical reaction.

Element

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

Compound

A substance formed from two or more chemical elements that are chemically bonded together.

Mixture

A combination of two or more substances in which each substance keeps its chemical identity.

Heterogeneous Mixture

A mixture that is divided into different regions of appearance and properties.

Homogeneous Mixture

A mixture that is uniform throughout without any visible separations.

Solution

A homogeneous mixture where a solid (solute) is dissolved in a liquid (solvent).

Kinetic Energy

Energy possessed by an object due to its motion.

Potential Energy

Energy stored in matter because of its position or location.

Law of Conservation of Energy

Energy cannot be created or destroyed, but can be transformed.

Scientific Method

A technique for investigation that is used to answer scientific questions.

Hypothesis

A proposed explanation made on observations or limited evidence.

Theory

An explanation of general principles of phenomena that has been repeatedly tested and observed.

Fact

Indisputable truth.

Measurements

Quantities consist of a number and a unit.

Significant Figures

Numbers that carry meaning contributing to their measurement accuracy.

Scientific Notation

A way of expressing very large or very small numbers.

Temperature

Commonly quantified using kelvin, Celsius, and Fahrenheit.

Kelvin (K)

The absolute temperature scale that starts at absolute zero.

Celsius (°C)

A water-based temperature scale where 0°C is the freezing point of water.

Fahrenheit (°F)

A temperature scale commonly used in the US.

Elemental Symbol

Shorthand representation of atoms of different elements.

Atomic Number

Number of protons in an atom of a particular element.

Mass Number

The number of protons plus the number of neutrons.

Isotope

Atoms of an element with the same number of protons but different numbers of neutrons.

Empirical Formula

Smallest whole number ratio of numbers of the atoms in a molecule.

Molecular Formula

Actual number of atoms in a molecule.

Chemical Bonds

Forces holding atoms together in compounds.

Ionic Bonds

Bonds formed by the electrostatic attraction between positive and negative ions.

Covalent Bonds

Bonds formed when two nonmetals share electrons.

Polar Covalent Bond

Covalent bond where the electrons are shared unequally.

Nonpolar Covalent Bond

Covalent bond where the electrons are shared equally.

Oxidation

The process of losing electrons.

Reduction

The process of gaining electrons.

Galvanic Cell

Electrochemical cell that generates an electric current from spontaneous redox reactions.

Electrolytic Cell

Cell that requires external energy to drive a non-spontaneous reaction.

Oxidizing Agent

Species that oxidizes another species, itself getting reduced.

Reducing Agent

Species that reduces another species, itself getting oxidized.

Reaction Rate

Speed at which reactants are converted into products in a chemical reaction.

Catalyst

Substance that increases the rate of a chemical reaction, without being consumed.

Equilibrium

State when both forward and reverse reactions occur at the same rate.

Acid

Substance that produces H+ ions in aqueous solution.

Base

Substance that produces OH- ions in aqueous solution.

pH

Measure of acidity or basicity of a solution.

Electrolyte

Substance that dissociates into ions in solution and conducts electricity.

Dissociation

Process by which a compound breaks down into its component ions.

Molarity (M)

Concentration term defined as moles of solute per liter of solution.

Molality (m)

Concentration term defined as moles of solute per kilogram of solvent.

Hydration

Process of surrounding solute particles with solvent molecules.

Dilution

Process of reducing the concentration of a solute in solution.

Colloid

Mixture where microscopically dispersed insoluble particles are suspended throughout another substance.

Solubility Product (Ksp)

Constant at a given temperature for a sparingly soluble salt.

Half-life

Time required for half of the radioactive atoms in a sample to decay.

Fission

Process of splitting a large nucleus into smaller nuclei.

Fusion

Process of combining small nuclei to form a larger nucleus.

Gibbs Free Energy

A thermodynamic potential that can be used to predict the direction of chemical reactions.

Quantum Theory

Theoretical framework describing the dual particle-wave nature of matter.

Electronegativity

Measure of the tendency of an atom to attract a bonding pair of electrons.

Molecular Orbital Theory

Theory describing the molecular structure in terms of orbital overlap.

Hybridization

Mixing of atomic orbitals to form new hybrid orbitals for bonding.

Lewis Structure

Diagram representing the arrangement of electrons in a molecule.

VSEPR Theory

Model used to predict the geometry of individual molecules.

Dipole Moment

A measure of the separation of positive and negative charges in a molecule.

Resonance Structures

Different ways of drawing the same molecule that show the delocalization of electrons.

Hydrophobic Effect

The tendency of nonpolar substances to aggregate in aqueous solutions.

Amphiphilic Molecules

Molecules that contain both hydrophilic (water-loving) and hydrophobic (water-averse) components.

Thermochemistry

The study of the energy and heat associated with chemical reactions and physical transformations.

Entropy

Measure of disorder or randomness in a system.

Calorimetry

The measurement of heat changes during chemical reactions.

Standard State

Reference point for thermodynamic calculations, usually at 1 atm and 25°C.

Stochiometry

The calculation of reactants and products in chemical reactions.

Limiting Reagent

The reactant that is completely consumed in a reaction and limits the amount of product formed.

Percent Yield

A comparison of the actual yield to the theoretical yield in a chemical reaction.

Chemical Reaction

The process that leads to the transformation of one set of chemical substances to another.

Precipitation Reaction

A reaction that produces a solid in solution.

Acid-Base Reaction

A reaction that involves the transfer of protons between reactants.

Redox Reaction

A type of reaction that involves the transfer of electrons.

Thermodynamics

The study of energy transformations in physical and chemical processes.

Activation Energy

The minimum energy required for a chemical reaction to occur.

Bond Strength

The measure of the amount of energy required to break a bond between two atoms.

Chemical Equilibrium

A state in a chemical reaction in which the concentrations of reactants and products remain constant.