Lecture Notes Video: Water, Acids/Bases, and Organic Chemistry (VOCABULARY Flashcards)

A set of vocabulary-style flashcards covering water properties, acids/bases/pH, and basic organic chemistry concepts from the notes.

Solvency

The ability of water to dissolve other chemicals; water is a universal solvent.

Hydrophilic

Molecules that dissolve easily in water; typically polar or charged (e.g., salts).

Hydrophobic

Molecules that do not dissolve in water; typically nonpolar (e.g., fats).

Adhesion

Tendency of a substance to cling to other surfaces; water adheres to many molecules.

Cohesion

Tendency of like molecules to cling to each other; water molecules are highly cohesive.

Surface tension

Cohesive forces at the surface of a liquid that support light objects and reduce surface area.

Hydrolysis

Chemical reaction that breaks bonds in a molecule using water.

Dehydration synthesis

Joining monomers to form a larger molecule with the removal of a water molecule.

Hydrogen bonds

Weak bonds between water molecules that give water high heat capacity and surface tension.

Specific heat (of water)

Water's high ability to absorb and release heat with little temperature change due to hydrogen bonding.

Evaporation (cooling)

Water at the surface evaporates as bonds break, providing cooling.

Ice density

Ice is less dense than liquid water due to a lattice structure, so it floats.

Insulating barrier (in water bodies)

Ice cover reduces heat loss, insulating aquatic life.

Acids

Substances that donate protons (H+) and lower pH.

Bases (alkali)

Substances that accept protons and raise pH; many release hydroxide (OH−) ions.

pH

A measure of how acidic or basic a solution is, on a 0–14 scale.

Neutral pH

pH of 7, where [H+] = [OH−].

Buffers

Solutions that resist changes in pH by absorbing or releasing H+ or OH−.

Physiological pH

Normal blood pH range about 7.35–7.45; small changes can disrupt function.

Isomers

Molecules with the same molecular formula but different arrangements of atoms.

Structural isomers

Isomers with the same atoms but different connectivity.

Geometric (cis-trans) isomers

Isomers around a double bond differing in spatial arrangement (cis vs. trans).

Enantiomers

Mirror-image isomers that are non-superimposable.

Carbohydrates, Lipids, Proteins, Nucleic acids

The four major categories of organic biomolecules.

Carbon

Versatile element with four valence electrons; forms carbon–carbon backbones.

Carbon–carbon backbones

Long chains, branches, or rings formed by carbon bonding.

Functional groups

Small atom groups attached to carbon skeleton that determine properties (e.g., OH, CH3, COOH, NH2, phosphate).

Monomers and polymers

Monomers are single units; polymers are large molecules made from repeating monomers.

Macromolecules

Very large organic molecules with high molecular weight (e.g., polymers).

Polymerization

Process of joining monomers to form polymers.

Dehydration synthesis (polymerization)

Forming polymers by removing water during monomer coupling.

Starch

A carbohydrate polymer of about 3,000 glucose monomers.

Carbon valence

Carbon has four valence electrons and can form four covalent bonds.

Covalent bonding

Bonds formed by sharing electrons with H, O, N, S, and other elements.