Honors Chemistry Vocabulary - CHS Summer Homework

Matter

Anything that has mass and occupies space

Chemistry

The study of the composition of matter and the change that matter undergoes

Organic chemistry

The study of compounds containing carbon

Inorganic chemistry

The study of substances that, in general, do not contain carbon

Biochemistry

The area of chemistry that focuses on processes that take place in organisms

Analytical chemistry

The area of chemistry that focuses on the composition of matter

Physical chemistry

The area of chemistry that deals with the mechanism, the rate, and the energy transfer that occurs when matter undergoes a change

Pure chemistry

The pursuit of chemical knowledge for its own sake

Applied chemistry

Research that is directed toward a practical goal or application

Technology

The means by which a society provides its members with those things needed and desired

Scientific method

A logical, systematic approach to the solution of a scientific problem; steps in the scientific method include making observations, testing hypotheses, and developing theories

Observation

Information obtained through the senses; observation in science often involves a measurement

Hypothesis

A proposed explanation for an observation

Experiment

A repeatable procedure that is used to test a hypothesis

Independent variable

The variable that is changed during an experiment; also called manipulated variable

Dependent variable

The variable that is observed during an experiment; also called responding variable

Model

A representation of an object or an event

Theory

A well-tested explanation for a broad set of observations

Scientific law

A concise statement that summarizes the results of many observations and experiments

Mass

A measure of the amount of matter that an object contains; the SI base unit of mass is the kilogram

Volume

A measure of the space occupied by a sample of matter

Extensive property

A property that depends on the amount of matter in a sample

Intensive property

A property that depends on the type of matter in a sample, not the amount of matter

Substance

Matter that has a uniform and definite composition; either an element or a compound; also called pure substance

Physical property

A quality or condition of a substance that can be observed or measured without changing the substance’s composition

Solid

A form of matter that has a definite shape and volume

Liquid

A form of matter that flows, has a fixed volume, and an indefinite shape

Gas

A form of matter that takes the shape and volume of its container; a gas has no definite shape or volume

Vapor

Describes the gaseous state of a substance that is generally a liquid or solid at room temperature

Physical change

A change during which some properties of a material change, but the composition of the material does not change

Mixture

A physical blend of two or more substances that are not chemically combined

Heterogenous mixture

A mixture that is not uniform in composition; components are not evenly distributed throughout the mixture

Homogenous mixture

A mixture that is uniform in composition; components are evenly distributed and not easily distinguished

Solution

A homogenous mixture; consists of solutes dissolved into a solvent

Phase

Any part of a sample with uniform composition and properties

Filtration

A process that separates a solid from the liquid in a heterogeneous mixture

Distillation

A process used to separate components of a mixture using differences in boiling points

Element

The simplest form of matter that has a unique set of properties; an element cannot be broken down into simpler substances by chemical means

Compound

A substance that contains two of more elements chemically combined in a fixed proportion

Chemical change

A change that produces matter with a different composition than the original matter

Chemical symbol

A one or two letter representation of an element

Periodic table

An arrangement of elements in which the elements are separated into groups based on a set of repeating properties

Period

A horizontal row of elements in the periodic table

Group

A vertical column of elements in the periodic table, the constituent elements of a group have similar chemical and physical properties

Chemical property

The ability of a substance to undergo a specific chemical change

Chemical reaction

A change in which one or more reactants change into one or more products; characterized by the breaking of bonds in reactants and the formation of bonds in product

Reactant

A substance present at the start of a reaction

Product

A substance produced in a chemical reaction

Precipitate

A solid that forms and settles out of a liquid mixture

Law of conservation of mass

In any chemical or physical process, energy is neither created nor destroyed