Classification and states of matter Vocabulary.docx

Module Vocabulary

Classification and States of Matter
Term	Definition
kinetic energy	energy due to motion.
temperature	the measure of the average kinetic energy of the particles in a material.
potential energy	stored energy due to the interactions between objects or particles.
thermal energy	the result of the motion of all the particles, and the distance and attractions between those particles in the system.
atom	a small particle that is the building block of matter.
substance	matter with a composition that is always the same.
element	a substance that consists of only one type of atom.
compound	a substance containing atoms of two or more different elements chemically bonded together.
chemical formula	a group of chemical symbols and numbers that represent the elements and the number of atoms of each element that make up a compound.
thermal contraction	a decrease in a material’s volume when the temperature is decreased.
thermal expansion	an increase in a material’s volume when the temperature is increased.
heat	the transfer of thermal energy from a region of higher temperature to a region of lower temperature. Heat can also refer to the amount of energy transferred during this process.
pressure	the amount of force per unit area applied to an object’s surface.
vaporization	the change in state from a liquid to a gas.
molecule	two or more atoms that are held together by covalent bonds and act as a unit.