Grade 11 General Science Term 2: Chemical Reactions in Everyday Lives and Biological Processes

Vocabulary flashcards covering chemical reaction types, everyday reactions, industrial processes, and environmental/biological chemical cycles.

Chemical Reaction

A process in which one or more starting substances (reactants) are transformed into one or more completely different substances (products) by breaking existing chemical bonds and forming new ones.

Reactants

The starting substances present at the beginning of a chemical reaction.

Products

The new substances formed as a result of a chemical reaction.

Decomposition Reactions

Reactions in which a single reactant breaks down into two or more simpler products, following the general formula $AB \rightarrow A + B$.

Thermal Decomposition

A type of decomposition reaction that uses heat as an external energy input to break chemical bonds within a compound.

Photolysis

A type of decomposition reaction that uses light energy to break chemical bonds within a compound.

Electrolysis

A type of decomposition reaction that uses electricity to break chemical bonds within a compound.

Catalase

An enzyme released by blood and damaged cells that catalyzes the decomposition of hydrogen peroxide into water and oxygen gas.

Effervescence

The rapid release of gas bubbles in a liquid solution during a chemical reaction, such as carbon dioxide gas produced from mixing acids with carbonates.

Acids on Carbonates Reaction

A chemical process where an acid reacts with a metal carbonate or metal hydrogen carbonate through double displacement followed by decomposition, following the formula $\text{Acid} + \text{Metal Carbonate} \rightarrow \text{Salt} + \text{Water} + \text{Carbon Dioxide}$.

Acids on Metals Reaction

A single replacement reaction where an acid reacts with an active metal to produce a metal salt and hydrogen gas ($H_{2(g)}$), following the formula $\text{Acid} + \text{Metal} \rightarrow \text{Salt} + \text{Hydrogen Gas}$.

Acid Pickling

An industrial process where steel sheets or coils are submerged in concentrated hydrochloric acid ($HCl_{(aq)}$) or sulfuric acid ($H_2SO_{4(aq)}$) to remove surface impurities, oxides, and mill scale before galvanizing or coating.

Combustion Reactions

Exothermic chemical reactions in which a fuel reacts rapidly with oxygen gas ($O_{2(g)}$), releasing energy in the form of heat and light.

Complete Combustion

Combustion that occurs in an abundant supply of oxygen, fully burning hydrocarbon fuel to yield only carbon dioxide ($CO_{2(g)}$), water ($H_2O_{(l)}$), and a clean blue flame.

Incomplete Combustion

Combustion that occurs when oxygen is limited, partially breaking down fuel to produce carbon monoxide ($CO_{(g)}$), solid carbon particles (soot/ash), water ($H_2O_{(l)}$), and a flickering yellow flame.

Internal Combustion Engine

A mechanical device in vehicles that ignites an atomized fuel-air mixture (such as octane, $C_8H_{18}$) with a spark plug inside cylinders, generating rapidly expanding gas ($CO_{2(g)}$ and steam) that pushes pistons to turn the crankshaft.

Photosynthesis

An endothermic/endergonic reaction performed by plants, algae, and cyanobacteria using chlorophyll to convert carbon dioxide and water into glucose and oxygen gas ($6CO_{2(g)} + 6H_2O_{(l)} \rightarrow C_6H_{12}O_{6(s)} + 6O_{2(g)}$).

Chloroplast

The organelle within plants, algae, and cyanobacteria that contains chlorophyll and serves as the site for photosynthesis.

Cellular Respiration

An exothermic/exergonic process in the mitochondria of living organisms that breaks down glucose in the presence of oxygen to release usable chemical energy ($C_6H_{12}O_{6(s)} + 6O_{2(g)} \rightarrow 6CO_{2(g)} + 6H_2O_{(l)} + \text{Energy (36--38 ATP + Heat)}$).

Mitochondrion

The cellular organelle in plants, animals, fungi, and most bacteria where cellular respiration takes place.

Adenosine Triphosphate (ATP)

The form of chemical energy produced during cellular respiration that powers vital biological functions like tissue repair, muscle contraction, and active membrane transport.

Carbon-Oxygen Cycle

A closed-loop environmental system in which the products of photosynthesis ($C_6H_{12}O_{6(s)}$ and $O_{2(g)}$) serve directly as reactants for cellular respiration, and the products of cellular respiration ($CO_{2(g)}$ and $H_2O_{(l)}$) fuel photosynthesis.

Ocean Acidification

An environmental process where excess atmospheric carbon dioxide dissolves in ocean water to form carbonic acid ($CO_{2(g)} + H_2O_{(l)} \rightleftharpoons H_2CO_{3(aq)}$), which dissociates ($H_2CO_{3(aq)} \rightleftharpoons H^+_{(aq)} + HCO^-_{3(aq)}$) to increase ocean acidity.