CHM1105 - General Chemistry for Engineers: Introduction

Vocabulary flashcards covering core concepts of introductory chemistry, matter properties, scientific methods, units, and measurement precision from CHM1105.

Matter

Anything that occupies space, has mass, and can be observed.

Physical Properties

Characteristics that do not involve a change in a sample's chemical makeup.

Chemical Properties

Characteristics that involve a change in a sample's chemical state.

Physical vs. Chemical Properties Examples

Physical properties include temperature, color, melting point, electrical conductivity, amount, odor, solubility, and hardness. Chemical properties include rusting of iron, combustion of gasoline, tarnishing of silver, and hardening of cement.

Intensive Properties

Properties with values that do not depend on the amount or size of material (all chemical properties are intensive).

Extensive Properties

Properties that depend on the size or amount of material present.

Atoms

The smallest particles of a chemical element that can exist, typically characterized by the number of protons contained.

Elements

Substances that cannot be decomposed into simpler substances by chemical means and consist only of atoms of a single type.

Molecules

Groups of atoms held together by chemical bonds.

Hierarchy of Atomic Structure

The organizational breakdown where an element consists of atoms, which contain a nucleus and electrons, with the nucleus composed of protons and neutrons.

Particulate-Level States of Matter

Microscopic representation showing solids with a regular ordered structure, liquids with close but disordered molecules, and gases with widely separated, independently moving molecules.

Scientific Method

A framework for gaining and organizing knowledge through a flexible process of creative thinking and testing.

Scientific Method Flowchart

A structured pathway linking observation to tentative hypothesis, experimental testing, theory formulation, and iterative revision based on new data.

Observation

Something witnessed, such as a natural phenomenon or a measured event, which can gather facts that have no predictive value.

Hypothesis

A tentative, testable explanation for an observation that can be revised if experiments show it is inadequate.

Experiment

A logical controlled set of steps to gather information and test hypotheses or theories.

Inductive Reasoning

Reasoning that begins with a series of specific observations and attempts to generalize to a larger, more universal conclusion.

Deductive Reasoning

Reasoning that takes two or more statements or assertions and combines them so that a clear and irrefutable conclusion can be drawn.

Theory

A set of tested hypotheses that explain a natural occurrence, possess predictive value, and may change as new information becomes available.

Qualitative Measurement

A descriptive observation that reflects the quality of something in size, appearance, or value.

Quantitative Measurement

An observation relating to, measuring, or expressed by the numerical quantity of something with a value and a unit.

Système Internationale (SI)

The scientific system of measurement based on the metric system, comprising seven fundamental base quantities: mass ($\text{kg}$), length ($\text{m}$), time ($\text{s}$), current ($\text{A}$), temperature ($\text{K}$), amount of substance ($\text{mol}$), and luminous intensity ($\text{cd}$).

Derived Quantities

Units formed by combinations of fundamental base quantities, such as force ($\text{newton, N}$), pressure ($\text{pascal, Pa}$), and energy ($\text{joule, J}$).

Significant Figures

The total number of digits recorded in a measurement.

Accuracy

How close a given measurement is to the true value.

Precision

How well a number of independent measurements agree with one another.

Accuracy vs. Precision (Target Diagram)

A target illustration demonstrating the four conditions of measurement data: low accuracy/low precision, low accuracy/high precision, high accuracy/low precision, and high accuracy/high precision.

Absolute Uncertainty (AU)

The range of uncertainty attached to a measurement dependent on the instrument used, representing the boundary limits of the measured value.

Relative Uncertainty (RU)

The ratio of the absolute uncertainty to the reported value, calculated as: $\text{RU} = \frac{\text{Absolute Uncertainty}}{\text{Reported Value}} \times 100\%$.