Inorganic Compounds and Water

Flashcards covering key concepts of inorganic compounds and the properties of water.

Inorganic Compounds

Compounds that usually lack carbon and are structurally simple, including water, salts, acids, and bases.

Water

The most important and abundant inorganic compound in all living systems; vital for chemical reactions in the body.

Solvent

A substance in which another substance (solute) can be dissolved.

Hydrophilic

Substances that dissolve easily in water, usually charged or polar molecules.

Hydrophobic

Substances that are not very water soluble, typically containing mainly nonpolar covalent bonds.

Cohesion

The tendency of water molecules to stick together, primarily due to hydrogen bonding.

Polarity

The uneven sharing of electrons in a molecule, resulting in a partial charge.

Solution

A mixture of solvent and solute, where the solute is dissolved in the solvent.

Universal Solvent

A term historically sought for a substance that could dissolve all materials; though water is versatile, it is not a true universal solvent.

NaCl

Sodium chloride, a common salt that dissolves in water due to ionic bonds breaking between sodium and chloride ions.