Bond Strength and Potential Energy in Chemistry

These flashcards cover essential vocabulary related to bond strength, potential energy, and chemical interactions, helping to reinforce key concepts for exam preparation.

Bond Strength

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

Potential Energy

The stored energy of an object; in the context of chemical bonds, it refers to the energy associated with the position of atoms.

Internuclear Distance

The distance between the nuclei of two bonded atoms.

Hydrogen Bond

A weak bond between two molecules resulting from an electrostatic attraction between a proton and an electronegative atom.

Covalent Bond

A type of bond formed when two atoms share one or more pairs of electrons.

Ionic Bond

A chemical bond that involves the electrostatic attraction between oppositely charged ions.

Triple Bond

A type of chemical bond where three pairs of electrons are shared between two atoms.

Double Bond

A type of chemical bond where two pairs of electrons are shared between two atoms.

Van der Waals Forces

Attractive forces between molecules that arise from temporary dipoles due to electron movement.

Chemical Stability

A measure of how likely a compound is to remain unchanged over time.

Energy Required to Break a Bond

The amount of energy needed to separate bonded atoms.

Atomic Radius

The distance from the nucleus of an atom to the outer boundary of its electron cloud.

Hydrophobic

Repelling water; typically refers to molecules that do not interact with water.

Hydrophilic

Attracting water; typically refers to molecules that interact with water.

Mitochondria

Organelles that are the powerhouses of the cell, producing ATP through cellular respiration.

Homeostasis

The maintenance of stable internal conditions in an organism.

Eukaryotic Cell

A type of cell that contains a nucleus and organelles enclosed within membranes.

Prokaryotic Cell

A simpler, unicellular organism that lacks a nucleus and membrane-bound organelles.

Electron Shell

The regions of space around an atomic nucleus where electrons are likely to be found.

Stable Configuration

The electron arrangement in atoms that results in minimized energy and increased stability.

Bond Formation

The process by which atoms bond together, resulting in the creation of a molecule.

Relativity of Potential Energy

The concept that potential energy values are relative and can differ based on context.

Reaction Rate

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

Catalyst

A substance that speeds up a chemical reaction without being consumed.

Kinetic Energy

The energy an object possesses due to its motion.

Enthalpy

The total heat content of a system, often used in the context of chemical reactions.

Thermodynamics

The study of heat and temperature and their relation to energy and work.

Specific Heat Capacity

The amount of heat energy required to raise the temperature of a unit mass of substance by one degree Celsius.

Electronegativity

The ability of an atom to attract electrons towards itself in a chemical bond.

Surface Tension

The energy required to increase the surface area of a liquid due to intermolecular forces.

Crystalline Structure

A solid material whose constituents are arranged in a highly ordered microscopic structure.

Amorphous Solid

A solid that lacks a definite geometrical structure.

Bonding Pair

A pair of electrons shared between two atoms in a chemical bond.

Aqueous Solution

A solution in which the solvent is water.

Chemical Reaction

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

Absorption Spectrum

A spectrum of absorbed light or electromagnetic radiation.

Electrostatic Forces

Forces that attract or repel charged particles.

Atomic Mass

The mass of an atom, typically expressed in atomic mass units (amu).

Molecular Formula

A chemical formula that shows the quantity and type of atoms in a molecule.

Isotope

Variants of a particular chemical element that have the same number of protons but different numbers of neutrons.

Ionic Compound

A compound composed of ions held together by electrostatic forces.

Reaction Coordinate

A one-dimensional representation of the progress of a chemical reaction.

Gibbs Free Energy

A thermodynamic quantity that represents the amount of energy available to do work during a reaction.