BackGeneral Chemistry Fundamentals
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Terms in this set (22)
Matter is anything that has mass and occupies space.
The three states of matter are solid, liquid, and gas.
An atom is the smallest unit of an element that retains its chemical properties.
The periodic table organizes elements by increasing atomic number and groups with similar properties.
An ionic bond forms when electrons are transferred from one atom to another, creating oppositely charged ions.
A covalent bond forms when atoms share electrons to achieve stability.
The atomic number is the number of protons in an atom's nucleus.
Atomic mass is the weighted average mass of an element's isotopes, measured in atomic mass units (amu).
Isotopes are atoms of the same element with different numbers of neutrons.
Molar mass is the mass of one mole of a substance, expressed in grams per mole (g/mol).
A mole is Avogadro's number of particles, \(6.022\times10^{23}\).
An element contains one type of atom; a compound contains two or more elements chemically combined.
The law of conservation of mass states mass is neither created nor destroyed in a chemical reaction.
A physical change alters form without changing composition; a chemical change alters composition.
An ion is an atom or molecule with a net electric charge due to loss or gain of electrons.
Electronegativity measures an atom's ability to attract electrons in a bond.
The octet rule states atoms tend to gain, lose, or share electrons to have eight valence electrons.
Valence electrons are the outermost electrons involved in chemical bonding.
Polar covalent bonds have unequal electron sharing; nonpolar covalent bonds share electrons equally.
Density is calculated as \(\text{density} = \frac{\text{mass}}{\text{volume}}\).
Groups are vertical columns; elements in a group have similar chemical properties and valence electron counts.
Periods are horizontal rows; properties change progressively across a period.