Chemistry in Context - Flashcards

Flashcards covering key concepts from the Chemistry in Context notes, including the domains of chemistry, states of matter, properties and changes, mixtures vs. pure substances, atomic theory, water decomposition, energy and hydrogen, and safety/periodic table conventions.

What is the Central Science and why is chemistry called that?

Chemistry is the study of the composition, properties, and interactions of matter, and it is often called the Central Science because of its interconnections with medicine, biology, physics, and many other fields.

Name five disciplines listed in the notes that chemistry relates to.

Medicine, Biology, Food Science, Agriculture, Geology (and additional fields like Environmental Science, Biochemistry, Molecular Biology, Nanoscience, etc.).

What are the three main domains of chemistry?

Macroscopic domain, Microscopic domain, and Symbolic domain.

What is the Macroscopic domain of chemistry?

The domain that involves large-scale observations that can be sensed (e.g., food, breeze); it includes properties like density, solubility, and flame.

What is the Microscopic domain of chemistry?

The domain visible through microscopes, dealing with atoms, molecules, ions, electrons, protons, and neutrons.

What is the Symbolic domain of chemistry?

The domain that uses chemical symbols, chemical formulas, chemical equations, graphs, and drawings to represent substances and reactions.

What is the Sub-microscopic domain?

The level of atoms and molecules (and their interactions) that underpins the microscopic domain.

Name the four states of matter mentioned in the notes, including plasma.

Solid, Liquid, Gas, and Plasma.

What is a physical property? Give an example.

A characteristic of matter that does not involve a change in chemical identity; e.g., density or color.

What is a physical change? Give an example.

A change in the state or properties of matter without changing its chemical identity; e.g., melted wax, dissolved sugar, steam condensing.

What is a chemical property? Give an example.

The ability of a substance to undergo a chemical change into a different substance; e.g., flammability, toxicity, acidity.

What is a chemical change? Give examples.

A process that produces different kinds of matter than originally present; e.g., combustion, cooking, digestion, rotting.

What is an extensive property? Give examples.

A property that depends on the amount of matter present (e.g., mass, volume).

What is an intensive property? Give examples.

A property that does not depend on the amount of matter (e.g., temperature).

What is a Mixture, and how can mixtures be separated?

A combination of two or more types of matter that can be separated by physical changes (e.g., evaporation).

What is the difference between heterogeneous and homogeneous mixtures?

Heterogeneous mixtures have nonuniform composition; homogeneous mixtures have uniform composition (solutions).

What is a Pure substance? What are its two main categories?

A substance with a uniform composition that cannot be separated by physical methods; it can be an element or a compound.

What is an Element and what is a Molecule?

An element is a pure substance consisting of one type of atom. A molecule is two or more atoms bonded together.

What is Dalton's Atomic Theory as described in the notes?

Matter is composed of atoms; some elements have atoms that move independently, while others consist of paired atoms.

What is the chemical equation for the decomposition of water?

2 H2O(l) -> 2 H2(g) + O2(g)

Why is hydrogen considered a potent energy source in fuel-cell vehicles?

Hydrogen is highly flammable and can be used to generate energy in fuel cells, offering potentially more efficient combustion engines.

What is the Hazard Diamond and what does it indicate?

The NFPA 704 hazard rating diagram that indicates health, flammability, reactivity, and other hazards on a 0–4 scale.

What information does the Hazard Diamond convey about a substance?

Details on health hazard, flammability, reactivity, and sometimes special hazards, with numeric ratings from 0 (no hazard) to 4 (extremely hazardous).

What does the color code on the Periodic Table indicate?

Classification of elements as metals, metalloids, or nonmetals, often with indicators of their typical phase (solid, liquid, gas) at room temperature.