Chemistry and Biology Complete Review

Vocabulary flashcards covering core concepts in Biology, Scientific Method, Chemistry Chapters 1 & 2, and SI Base Units.

Reductionism

An approach in biology that explains higher levels of organization by studying lower levels, such as molecules and organelles.

Cell

The structural and functional unit of life which performs all of the processes required for life.

Emergent Properties

Properties that exist at one level of organization due to the interactions that occur at lower levels of organization.

Homeostasis

The state maintained by living things through responding to stimuli and regulating their internal conditions.

Viral Envelope

A structure of a virion that is typically derived from the plasma membrane of the host cell.

Independent Variable

The factor or condition in an experiment that is deliberately manipulated or tested, such as drug choice and dosages.

Matter

Anything that has mass and occupies space.

Solid

A state of matter characterized by having a definite shape and a definite volume.

Law of Conservation of Matter

A fundamental principle stating that there is no detectable change in the total quantity of matter during chemical or physical changes.

Element

A pure substance that cannot be broken down into simpler substances by chemical means.

Compound

A pure substance composed of two or more elements chemically combined, such as water ($H_2O$).

Homogeneous Mixture (Solution)

A mixture that exhibits a uniform composition throughout, such as salt water.

Physical Change

A change in the state or properties of matter without any accompanying change in its chemical composition, such as melting ice.

Chemical Property

A characteristic of a substance that relates to its ability to undergo a chemical change, such as flammability.

Intensive Property

A property of a substance that does not depend on the amount of matter present, such as density.

Extensive Property

A property that depends on the amount of matter present, such as mass and volume.

Three Domains of Chemistry

The macroscopic, microscopic, and symbolic domains used to study and describe chemical behavior.

Hypothesis

A tentative, testable explanation for an observation or scientific problem.

Scientific Law

A concise statement or equation that summarizes a large number of experimental observations.

Density

An intensive property defined as mass divided by volume ($\text{Density} = \frac{\text{mass}}{\text{volume}}$ or $d = \frac{m}{V}$).

Precision

Refers to how closely individual measurements of the same quantity agree with each other.

Accuracy

Refers to how close a measured value is to the true or accepted value.

Law of Definite Proportions

States that all samples of a pure compound contain the same elements in the same proportion by mass.

Cathode-Ray Experiments

Experiments performed by J.J. Thomson that led to the discovery of the electron.

Gold-Foil Experiment

An experiment performed by Rutherford demonstrating that the atom is mostly empty space with a small, dense, positively charged nucleus.

Atomic Number ($Z$)

The number equal to the total number of protons in the nucleus of an atom.

Mass Number ($A$)

The total number equal to the sum of the protons and neutrons in an atom.

Isotopes

Atoms of the same element that have the same number of protons but different numbers of neutrons.

Average Atomic Mass

The weighted average of the masses of an element's naturally occurring isotopes.

Cation

A positively charged ion formed when an atom loses one or more electrons.

Anion

A negatively charged ion formed when an atom gains one or more electrons.

Molecular Formula

A formula that shows the actual number of atoms of each element in a molecule.

Empirical Formula

A formula that shows the simplest whole-number ratio of atoms of each element in a compound.

Alkali Metals

The elements located in Group 1 of the periodic table.

Halogens

The elements located in Group 17 of the periodic table.

Ionic Compounds

Compounds usually formed by the combination of a metal and a nonmetal.

Molecular (Covalent) Compounds

Compounds usually formed by the combination of two or more nonmetals.

Binary Acid

An acid composed of hydrogen and one other nonmetallic element.

Oxyacid

An acid that contains hydrogen, oxygen, and a third element.

Polyatomic Ion

A group of covalently bonded atoms that carries an overall electric charge and acts as a single unit.

Alkene

A hydrocarbon functional group containing at least one carbon-carbon double bond ($C=C$).

Saturated Hydrocarbon

A hydrocarbon that contains only single carbon-carbon bonds.

Decane

The straight-chain alkane comprised of ten carbon atoms.

SI Base Unit for Mass

Kilogram ($kg$).

SI Base Unit for Temperature

Kelvin ($K$).

SI Base Unit for Amount of Substance

Mole ($mol$).

SI Base Unit for Length

Meter ($m$).

SI Base Unit for Time

Second ($s$).

Celsius to Kelvin Formula

Mathematical conversion equation given by $K = {}^\bullet\text{C} + 273.15$.

Fahrenheit to Celsius Formula

Mathematical conversion equation given by ${}^\bullet\text{C} = ({}^\bullet\text{F} - 32) \times \frac{5}{9}$.