The Nature of Molecules and Properties of Water

Flashcards based on key vocabulary and concepts from Chapter 2: The Nature of Molecules and Properties of Water.

Atomic Number

The number of protons in an atom.

Cation

A positively charged ion formed by the loss of one or more electrons.

Anion

A negatively charged ion formed by the gain of one or more electrons.

Isotope

Atoms with the same number of protons but different numbers of neutrons.

Covalent Bond

A chemical bond formed by the sharing of electron pairs between atoms.

Hydrogen Bond

A weak bond formed between a hydrogen atom and an electronegative atom from another molecule.

Polarity

A property of molecules with an uneven distribution of charge, leading to partial positive and negative charges.

Acids and Bases

Substances that respectively increase [H⁺] or decrease [H⁺] in a solution.

pH Scale

A logarithmic scale that measures the acidity or basicity of a solution.

Buffer

A solution that resists changes in pH when small amounts of acid or base are added.

Oxidation

The process of losing electrons, resulting in an increase in oxidation state.

Reduction

The process of gaining electrons, resulting in a decrease in oxidation state.

Electron Shell

Energy levels that electrons occupy around the nucleus of an atom.

Hydrophobic Interaction

The tendency of nonpolar substances to aggregate in aqueous solutions.

Valence Shell

The outermost electron shell of an atom, determining its chemical properties.

Chemical Reaction

A process that involves the transformation of one set of chemical substances into another.