Chemistry Buzz Words

Coulombic Attraction

Discussing the attraction of atoms due to differences in charge, when unlike charges attract each other or when like charges repel each other

Electronegativity

Tendency of an atom to draw the shared electrons in a molecule towards itself

Bond Polarity

Separation of an electric charge along a bond based on the individual atoms electronegativity —> leads to electric dipoles aka asymmetric changes, can be polar or non polar

Polar Covalent Bonds

Between 2 nonmetals that have different enough electronegativities so the bonding electron pair is not equally shared

Non-polar Covalent Bonds

Electronegativities of each atom are so similar that sharing of electron density is equal throughout the molecule

Intramolecular forces

The relation between two atoms in a bond

Intermolecular forces

The relation between two compounds

Spectroscopy

Studies of electromagnetic spectrum with matter

Elemental Analysis

Process where a sample of some material is analyzed for it’s elemental and sometimes isotopic composition

Photoelectric effect

emission of electrons when electromagnetic radiation hits a material

Ionization energy

Minimum amount of energy used to to remove the most loosely bounded electron, valence, of an isolated neutral gaseous atom or molecule (KJ/mol or kcal/mol)

Binding energy

The minimum amount of energy to remove all the electrons from the atom or ion in it’s ground state

Effective Nuclear Charge

Net positive charge pulling electrons towards the nucleus, the positive charge of nuclear protons acting on valence electrons

Atomic Radius

Distance between the center of the nucleus and the boundary of the surrounding shells of the electrons

Electron Affinity

Amount of energy released when an electron is added to a neutral atom or molecule in gaseous state to form negative ion

Polyatomic ions

Just know them

Relative Intensity

Amount of an ion produced in relation to the amount of most abundant ion, represents chemical element abundance

Fragmentation

Breaking a molecule apart by ripping the electrons off

Free Radical

The left out electron in odd electron species

VSEPR Theory (valence shell electron pair repulsion)

Electron groups repel each other through coulombic forces

Dipole moment

Difference in electron density, one has more pull than another, determines polarity of a molecule

Coulombs Law

Used to determine the force between point charges

Electromagnetic Spectru

All of the different possible wavelengths of light (electromagentic radiation)