Physics and Chemistry Key Concepts

Flashcards covering key concepts in physics and chemistry regarding light, atomic structure, and periodic trends.

Photons

Particles of light that carry energy.

Electromagnetic Radiation

A form of energy that exhibits wave-like behavior as it travels through space.

Wavelength

The distance between successive crests of a wave, often associated with light.

Frequency

The number of waves that pass a given point in one second, measured in hertz (Hz).

Energy

The capacity to do work, often measured in joules (J) or kilojoules (kJ) per mole.

Planck's Constant

A fundamental constant (h) used to describe the sizes of quanta in quantum mechanics.

Continuous Spectrum

A spectrum that displays a continuous range of colors or wavelengths.

Line Spectrum

A spectrum that shows distinct lines corresponding to specific wavelengths emitted by an element.

Emission Spectrum

The spectrum of light released from excited atoms of an element.

Quantized Energy

The concept that energy exists in discrete amounts rather than continuous.

Ground State

The lowest energy state of an atom.

Excited State

A higher energy state of an atom, where electrons have absorbed energy.

Quantum Numbers

Set of values that describe the energy levels and shapes of atomic orbitals.

Electron Configuration

The distribution of electrons in an atom's orbitals.

Orbital Diagram

A visual representation of the arrangement of electrons in an atom's orbital.

Atomic Radius

The distance from the nucleus to the outer boundary of the surrounding cloud of electrons.

Ionization Energy

The energy required to remove an electron from an atom or ion.

Periodic Table

A chart organizing all known elements based on atomic number and properties.

Valence Electrons

Electrons in the outermost shell of an atom that participate in chemical bonding.

Core Electrons

Electrons in the inner shells of an atom that are not involved in bonding.

Metalloids

Elements that have properties intermediate between metals and nonmetals.