all concepts Flashcards
What is an element?
A substance that cannot be broken down into simpler substances
What are the six most common elements in living things?
chonps
What are trace elements?
Elements that are needed in very small amounts
How do plants obtain trace elements? How do animals?
Plants absorb them by absorbing them through their roots.
Animals obtain them from the foods they eat.
What is an atom?
The smallest particle of an element that still has the properties of that element
What is the nucleus?
Center of an atom
What two particles comprise the nucleus?
protons and neutrons
Where are electrons found?
electron cloud
What is the charge of a proton?
positive
What is the charge of a neutron?
neutral
What is the charge of an electron?
negative
What is the charge of the nucleus?
overall positive
What does the atomic number represent?
number of protons
what is an isotope
atoms of the same element with a different number of neutrons (same number of p+)
How do you calculate the number of neutrons for an elements given the mass number?
Subtract the number of protons from the mass number
What is a compound?
A substance that is composed of two or more different chemically bonded elements
What type of bonds can carbon form?
covalent
