Pre-AP and Honors Chemistry: Chemical Bonding, Lewis Structures, and Periodic Trends

Comprehensive vocabulary flashcards reviewing chemical bonding, Lewis dot structures, VSEPR molecular geometry, intermolecular forces, and periodic trends.

Chemical Bond

An attractive force that holds atoms together to form new substances.

Ionic Bond

A chemical bond formed when one atom transfers or donates electrons to another atom, typically between a metal (or ammonium ion) and a non-metal (or polyatomic ion).

Covalent Bond

A chemical bond formed when nonmetal atoms share pairs of valence electrons.

Metallic Bond

A chemical bond in which many electrons are shared freely among a lattice of metal atoms.

Cation

A positively charged ion formed when an atom loses one or more valence electrons.

Anion

A negatively charged ion formed when a non-metal atom gains electrons, named with an "-ide" suffix.

Ionization

The process of removing electrons from atoms to form ions.

Electron Affinity

The tendency of an atom to gain electrons when forming chemical bonds, or the energy change associated with adding an electron to a gaseous atom.

Malleability

The physical property of metals that allows them to be hammered or pounded into various shapes without breaking.

Ductility

A physical property characteristic of metals describing their ability to be drawn or stretched into thin wires.

Crystal Lattice

The symmetrical, three-dimensional repeating array of cations and anions that forms solid ionic compounds.

Conductivity of Ionic Compounds

The property of ionic compounds having low electrical conductivity in the solid state, but significantly higher conductivity in the molten or aqueous state.

Lewis Dot Structure

A structural representation showing an atom or molecule's valence electrons as dots and bonded pairs as lines or shared dot pairs.

Resonance

The phenomenon occurring when two or more valid Lewis dot structures can be drawn for a molecule or polyatomic ion.

$\text{AB}_y\text{X}_z$ Formula

A general notation used in VSEPR theory where "A" represents the central atom, "B" represents bonded atoms, and "X" represents non-bonded electron pairs on the central atom.

Polar Molecule

A molecule with an uneven distribution of charge that possesses a permanent dipole moment.

London Dispersion Forces

Weak intermolecular forces arising from temporary induced dipoles that exist between all molecules.

Hydrogen Bonding

A strong dipole-dipole intermolecular attraction occurring between molecules with hydrogen directly bonded to highly electronegative elements like nitrogen, oxygen, or fluorine.

Mendeleev's Periodic Law

The principle stating that the chemical and physical properties of elements recur periodically when arranged by increasing atomic mass.

Atomic Radius

The distance from the center of an atom's nucleus to the boundary of its electron cloud, which increases down a group and decreases across a period.

Ionization Energy

The amount of energy required to remove the outermost electron from an isolated gaseous atom.

Electronegativity

A measure of the ability of an atom in a chemical bond to attract shared pairs of electrons to itself.

Alkali Metals

The reactive Group 1 elements (such as lithium, sodium, and potassium) that easily lose one valence electron to form $+1$ cations.

Alkaline Earth Metals

The Group 2 elements (such as beryllium, magnesium, and calcium) that lose two valence electrons to form $+2$ cations.

Halogens

The highly reactive Group 17 nonmetals (such as fluorine, chlorine, and bromine) that typically gain one electron to form $-1$ halide ions.

Noble Gases

The unreactive nonmetals located in Group 18 (such as helium, argon, and xenon) that possess full valence electron shells.

Metalloid

An element (such as silicon or germanium) that has properties intermediate between those of metals and nonmetals.