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General Chemistry Fundamentals

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  • What is matter?

    Matter is anything that has mass and occupies space.

  • What are the three states of matter?

    The three states of matter are solid, liquid, and gas.

  • Define an atom.

    An atom is the smallest unit of an element that retains its chemical properties.

  • What information does the periodic table provide?

    The periodic table organizes elements by increasing atomic number and groups elements with similar properties.

  • What is an ionic bond?

    An ionic bond forms when electrons are transferred from one atom to another, creating oppositely charged ions.

  • What is a covalent bond?

    A covalent bond forms when atoms share electrons to achieve stability.

  • What is the atomic number?

    The atomic number is the number of protons in an atom's nucleus.

  • What is atomic mass?

    Atomic mass is the weighted average mass of an element's isotopes, measured in atomic mass units (amu).

  • How are isotopes defined?

    Isotopes are atoms of the same element with different numbers of neutrons.

  • What is the difference between a molecule and a compound?

    A molecule is two or more atoms bonded together; a compound is a molecule with at least two different elements.

  • What is the law of conservation of mass?

    The law of conservation of mass states that mass is neither created nor destroyed in a chemical reaction.

  • What is molar mass?

    Molar mass is the mass of one mole of a substance, expressed in grams per mole (g/mol).

  • Define a mole.

    A mole is the amount of substance containing \(6.022\times10^{23}\) entities (Avogadro's number).

  • What is the difference between an element and a compound?

    An element contains only one type of atom; a compound contains two or more different elements chemically combined.

  • What is the octet rule?

    The octet rule states atoms tend to gain, lose, or share electrons to have eight electrons in their valence shell.

  • What is electronegativity?

    Electronegativity is the tendency of an atom to attract electrons in a chemical bond.

  • How do ionic and covalent bonds differ in electron behavior?

    Ionic bonds involve electron transfer; covalent bonds involve electron sharing.

  • What is a polyatomic ion?

    A polyatomic ion is a charged species composed of two or more atoms covalently bonded.

  • What is the periodic trend for atomic radius?

    Atomic radius decreases across a period and increases down a group in the periodic table.

  • What is the periodic trend for ionization energy?

    Ionization energy generally increases across a period and decreases down a group.