Matter and Its Interactions

matter

Anything that has mass and takes up space.

atom

The smallest unit of an element that still has the properties of that element.

element

A pure substance made of only one type of atom.

compound

ROOT: com = together + pound = put/place

A pure substance made of two or more different elements chemically bonded together.

mixture

Two or more substances physically combined but not chemically bonded.

pure substance

Matter containing only one type of particle, such as an element or compound.

physical property

ROOT: phys = nature/material

A characteristic of matter that can be observed or measured without creating a new substance.

chemical property

ROOT: chem = matter/change

A characteristic that describes how a substance can react to form new substances.

particle

A small piece or unit of matter used to model what matter is made of.

homogeneous

ROOT: homo = same + gen = kind

Describes something that is the same or uniform throughout.

heterogeneous

ROOT: hetero = different + gen = kind

Describes something made of different parts or types.

proton

ROOT: pro = positive

A positively charged subatomic particle found in the nucleus.

neutron

ROOT: neutr = neutral

A subatomic particle with no charge found in the nucleus.

electron

A negatively charged subatomic particle found outside the nucleus.

subatomic particle

ROOT: sub = below, under + atomic = dealing with atoms

A particle smaller than an atom; the three studied here are protons, neutrons, and electrons.

nucleus

The small, dense center of an atom containing protons and neutrons.

periodic table

A chart that organizes elements according to their atomic structure and repeating patterns in their properties.

periodic

ROOT: period = repeating cycle.

Repeating in a predictable pattern.

reactivity

ROOT: react = respond or change

How easily a substance undergoes a chemical reaction.

metal

An element that generally has properties such as conductivity, luster, and malleability.

nonmetal

An element that generally does not have the typical properties of metals.

metalloid

An element with properties that are sometimes similar to metals and sometimes similar to nonmetals.

conductivity

The ability of a material to allow heat or electric charge to move through it.

malleability

ROOT: malleus = hammer

The ability of a metal to be hammered or shaped without breaking.

chemical reaction

ROOT: chem = matter/change + react = respond/change.

A process in which atoms are rearranged and new substances are formed.

reactant

ROOT: react = respond/change

A starting substance that participates in a chemical reaction.

product

A new substance formed during a chemical reaction.

state of matter

The physical form of matter, such as solid, liquid, or gas.

melting

A physical change in which a solid changes into a liquid.

freezing

A physical change in which a liquid changes into a solid.

evaporation

ROOT: vapor = gas

A physical change in which a liquid changes into a gas.

condensation

ROOT: con = together + dens = close or tight

A physical change in which a gas changes into a liquid.

dissolving

ROOT: dis = apart + solv = loosen or break apart

A process in which one substance becomes evenly distributed throughout another substance; it does not necessarily create a new substance.

precipitate

ROOT: precip = fall down

A solid that forms from a solution during a chemical reaction.

Law of Conservation of Mass

The total mass of matter remains constant during a chemical reaction in a closed system.

conservation

ROOT: conserv = keep or preserve

The idea of keeping something from being lost or destroyed.

coefficient

ROOT: co = together

A large number placed in front of an element or chemical formula to show how many particles or molecules are involved.

subscript

ROOT: sub = below or under

A small number written to the right and near the bottom of an element within a chemical formula that tells how many atoms of that element are in one particle.

closed system

A system in which matter cannot enter or leave, allowing the total mass to be measured before and after a reaction.

open system

A system in which matter can enter or leave.

chemical equation

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

molecule

A group of atoms chemically bonded together.