Combined Science – Chemistry

These flashcards cover key terms and concepts from a chemistry lecture, including the structure of matter, types of chemical bonds, the periodic table, properties of waves, and principles of magnetism.

Matter

Anything that has mass and occupies space (volume).

Atom

The basic unit of matter, consisting of protons, neutrons, and electrons.

Proton

Positively charged particle found in the nucleus of an atom, with a mass of 1.

Neutron

Neutral particle found in the nucleus of an atom, with a mass of 1.

Electron

Negatively charged particle that orbits the nucleus of an atom, with negligible mass.

Nucleus

The core of an atom, containing protons and neutrons.

Electron configuration

The arrangement of electrons in an atom's shells (energy levels).

Element

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

Periodic Table

A tabular arrangement of elements organized by atomic number, periods, and groups.

Ionic bond

A type of chemical bond formed through the transfer of electrons from one atom to another.

Covalent bond

A type of chemical bond formed when electrons are shared between atoms.

Ion

An atom that has gained or lost one or more electrons, resulting in a positive or negative charge.

Anion

A negatively charged ion formed when an atom gains electrons.

Cation

A positively charged ion formed when an atom loses electrons.

Density

The mass of a substance per unit volume.

Molecule

The smallest part of an element or compound that can exist independently while retaining chemical properties.

Compound

A pure substance formed when two or more elements are chemically combined.

Mixture

A combination of two or more substances that can be separated by physical means.

Filtration

A method used to separate an insoluble substance from a soluble one.

Evaporation

A process used to separate a soluble substance from a solution by heating.

Thermal energy

The energy that comes from the temperature of matter, resulting from the movement of particles.

Electric current

The flow of electric charge, typically measured in amperes (A).

Voltage

The potential difference between two points in an electric circuit, measured in volts (V).

Conductors

Materials that allow electrons to flow freely, such as metals.

Insulators

Materials that resist the flow of electric charge, such as plastics and wood.

Kinetic energy

The energy of an object due to its motion.

Potential energy

Energy held by an object because of its position relative to other objects.

Wave

A disturbance that carries energy through matter or space, characterized by properties such as wavelength and frequency.

Refraction

The bending of a wave as it passes from one medium to another due to a change in speed.

Magnetism

The physical phenomenon produced by the motion of electric charge, resulting in attractive and repulsive forces between objects.

Electromagnet

A type of magnet created by an electric current, which can be turned on and off.

Soft magnet

A material that is easily magnetized and demagnetized.

Hard magnet

A material that is difficult to magnetize but retains its magnetism.