Module 1: Atomic Structure and Periodicity - Foundations of Chemistry

This flashcard set covers the foundational vocabulary for Chapter 1, including the definitions of chemistry, matter, and the classification of physical and chemical properties.

Chemistry

The scientific study of the properties, composition, structure, and transformations of matter at the atomic and molecular levels.

Matter

Any substance that has mass and takes up space by having volume.

Mass ($m$)

A measurement of the total quantity of matter contained within a physical object, often measured in grams ($g$) or kilograms ($kg$).

Physical Property

A characteristic that can be observed or measured without altering the chemical identity of the substance.

Intensive Properties

Bulk properties that do not depend on the amount of matter present and act as a reliable "chemical fingerprint" for identification.

Extensive Properties

Properties that depend directly on the size or amount of matter in a sample and change as material is added or removed.

Chemical Property

An attribute of a substance that dictates its potential to undergo a chemical reaction or transformation, which can only be observed by permanently altering the substance's chemical identity.

Density ($\rho$)

An intensive property defined as the ratio of a substance's mass to its volume ($\rho = \frac{m}{V}$), describing how tightly packed particles are within a space.

Boiling Point

The specific temperature at which the vapor pressure of a liquid equals the external atmospheric pressure, causing the liquid to transform into a gas.

Melting Point

The specific temperature at which a substance changes its physical state from a solid to a liquid under standard atmospheric pressure.

Color

The visual perception of a substance resulting from how its molecules absorb and reflect specific wavelengths of light.

Malleability

The ability of a solid material, typically metals, to sustain plastic deformation under compressive stress without shattering or cracking.

Electrical Conductivity

A measure of a material's capacity to allow an electric current to flow freely through it, driven by mobile electrons or ions.

Volume ($V$)

The total amount of three-dimensional space occupied by a liquid, solid, or gas.

Length ($l$)

The linear measurement of an object from one end to the other along its longest dimension.

Total Heat Capacity ($C$)

An extensive property representing the total amount of heat energy required to raise the temperature of an entire specific object by $1^\circ C$ (or $1\,K$), calculated as $C = m \times c$.

Specific Heat Capacity ($c$)

An intensive property defined as the heat needed to raise $1\,g$ of a substance by $1^\circ C$, measured in units such as $J/g \cdot ^\circ C$.