General Chemistry 1: Fundamental Concepts and Classification of Matter

Practice flashcards covering the basic states of matter, conservation laws, and the classification of substances and mixtures.

Matter

Anything that occupies space and volume.

Plasma

A highly energetic state of matter that is similar to a gas to some extent and found in fire, lightning, and electrical sparks.

Solid

A state of matter characterized by a definite shape and a definite volume that are not dependent upon the container.

Liquid

A state of matter that has a definite volume but a shape that depends on the particular container holding it.

Gas

A state of matter in which both the shape and the volume depend on the container holding the sample.

Mass

The amount of matter in an object, which is conserved throughout chemical and physical changes.

Weight

The force that a mass exerts upon the surface where it is placed, defined by mass times acceleration due to gravity.

Law of Conservation of Mass

A principle stating that matter is neither created nor destroyed during chemical or physical changes, only transformed.

Pure Substance

Matter that has constant properties and a constant composition, being composed of the same pieces all the time.

Element

A pure substance that cannot be broken down into anything simpler by chemical means.

Compound

A pure substance made of a combination of two or more types of different elements that are chemically bonded.

Mixture

A combination of substances that can be separated by physical means, such as filtration, evaporation, or distillation.

Homogeneous Mixture (Solution)

A mixture where the composition is uniform throughout and the components cannot be differentiated by the eye; it can exist in solid, liquid, or gaseous states.

Heterogeneous Mixture

A mixture in which the composition varies from point to point and the individual components or parts remain visible.

Atom

The smallest unit of an element that retains the properties of that element, derived from the Greek word "atoms" meaning indivisible.

Molecule

A unit consisting of two or more atoms bonded together; it represents the units of covalent compounds or certain elements in their natural state.

Diatomic Molecule

A molecule composed of two atoms of the same element, such as hydrogen ($H_2$) or oxygen ($O_2$).

Law of Conservation of Energy

A principle stating that energy is neither created nor destroyed, but only transformed.