General Chemistry Lecture Notes

These flashcards cover important vocabulary and concepts from general chemistry, including bonding, chemical interactions, and molecular geometry.

Octet Rule

Atoms bond in ways that fill their valence shell, typically aiming for eight electrons.

Incomplete Octets

Stable configurations with fewer than eight valence electrons, as seen in elements like hydrogen and helium.

Expanded Octets

Atoms in periods 3 and higher can have more than eight electrons in their valence shell, allowing bonding beyond the octet rule.

Electronegativity Difference

A measure of how strongly atoms attract bonding electrons; significant differences may indicate ionic bonding.

Hydrogen Bonding

A strong intermolecular force occurring when hydrogen is bonded to electronegative atoms like oxygen or nitrogen.

Van der Waals Forces

Weak intermolecular forces arising from temporary dipoles in molecules, also known as London dispersion forces.

Coordinate Covalent Bonds

Bonds formed when both electrons in a shared pair come from the same atom or molecule.

Electron Domain Geometry

The spatial arrangement of electron groups around a central atom, which influences molecular shape.

Lattice Structures

Regular arrangement of ions in a crystalline solid, where ion-ion attractions lead to stability.

Valence Shell Electron Pair Repulsion (VSEPR) Theory

A model used to predict the geometry of individual molecules based on electron-pair repulsion.

Cation

A positively charged ion, formed when an atom loses one or more electrons.

Anion

A negatively charged ion, formed when an atom gains one or more electrons.