AI - Chemical quantities and reactions

These flashcards cover key vocabulary from the Cell and Molecular Biology lecture, focusing on atomic structure, chemical reactions, and essential concepts of chemistry.

Atom

The basic unit of a chemical element, composed of a nucleus and electrons.

Bohr Model

An early model of an atom that depicts electrons orbiting around the nucleus at fixed distances.

Electron Cloud Model

A modern model of the atom where electrons are found in probability distributions around the nucleus.

Isotope

Variants of a chemical element that differ in neutron number but have the same number of protons.

Radioactive Decay

The process by which an unstable atomic nucleus loses energy by emitting radiation.

Alpha Decay

A type of radioactive decay where an alpha particle is emitted from the nucleus.

Beta Decay

A type of radioactive decay where a beta particle (electron or positron) is emitted.

Gamma Decay

The release of gamma rays from a nucleus during radioactive decay.

Avogadro's Number

6.02 x 10²³, the number of atoms or molecules in one mole of a substance.

Molar Mass

The mass of one mole of a substance, expressed in grams per mole (g/mol).

Covalent Bond

A chemical bond formed by the sharing of electrons between atoms.

Ionic Bond

A chemical bond formed through the electrical attraction between oppositely charged ions.

Electronegativity

A measure of the tendency of an atom to attract a bonding pair of electrons.

Hydrogen Bond

A weak bond between two molecules caused by an electrostatic attraction between a proton in one molecule and an electronegative atom in the other.

Van der Waals Forces

Weak attractions between molecules or parts of molecules due to transient local partial charges.

Equilibrium

A state in a reversible reaction where the rate of the forward reaction equals the rate of the reverse reaction.

Le Chatelier's Principle

A principle stating that if an external change is applied to a system at equilibrium, the system will adjust to counteract that change.

Concentration

The amount of a substance in a given volume, typically expressed in moles per liter (M).

Dilution

The process of reducing the concentration of a solute by mixing it with more solvent.

Reaction Equation

A symbolic representation of a chemical reaction, showing the reactants and products.

Equilibrium Constant (Kc)

A numerical value that expresses the ratio of concentrations of products to reactants at equilibrium.