Basic Chemistry Words

Question 1

formula

Answer 1

a combination of symbols that indicates the chemical composition of a substance

Question 2

compound

Answer 2

a substance formed by the chemical union of two or more elements

Question 3

balanced chemical equation

Answer 3

a chemical equation is written using the symbols and formulae of the reactants and products so that the number of units of each element present is the same on both sides of the arrow

Question 4

non-metal

Answer 4

an element that is a poor conductor of electricity and heat, and which forms acidic oxides

Question 5

diatomic

Answer 5

a molecule made up of only two atoms. The seven diatomic elements are iodine, bromine, chlorine, fluorine, oxygen, nitrogen, and hydrogen

Question 6

subscript

Answer 6

a letter or number is written below the line

Question 7

covalent compound

Answer 7

compounds, commonly formed between non-metal elements, by sharing electrons between atoms to form covalent bonds, all molecular compounds are covalent

Question 8

covalent bond

Answer 8

a bond formed between atoms formed when the atoms share electrons to achieve a full outer shell of electrons

Question 9

molecular formula

Answer 9

chemical formula showing the actual number of atoms of each element in a molecule

Question 10

ionic compound

Answer 10

an ionic compound occurs when a negative ion joins with a positive ion

Question 11

ionic bonding

Answer 11

ionic bonding forms between two atoms when an electron is transferred from one atom to the other, forming a positive-negative ion pair

Question 12

anode

Answer 12

the positive electrode during electrolysis

Question 13

aqueous

Answer 13

dissolved in water to form a solution. shown as (aq) in chemical equations

Question 14

cathode

Answer 14

the negative electrode during electrolysis

Question 15

charge

Answer 15

property of matter that causes a force when near another charge. charge comes in two forms, positive charge, and negative charge.

Question 16

charge (electrical)

Answer 16

an imbalance of electrons and protons in a material. an excess of electrons results in a negative charge, e deficit of electrons results in a positive charge

Question 17

closed system

Answer 17

in chemistry, a system in which no substances can enter or leave during a reaction

Question 18

electrode

Answer 18

a conductor used to establish electrical contact with a circuit. the electrode attached to the negative terminal of a battery is called a negative electrode, or cathode. the electrode attached to the positive terminal of a battery is the positive electrode or anode

Question 19

electrolysis

Answer 19

the decomposition (breakdown) of a compound using an electric current

Question 20

element

Answer 20

a substance made of one atom only

Question 21

empirical formula

Answer 21

the simplest whole-number ratio of the atoms of each element in a compound

Question 22

half equation

Answer 22

an equation, involving ions and electrons, that describes the process happening at an electrode

Question 23

insoluble

Answer 23

unable to dissolve in a particular solvent

Question 24

ion

Answer 24

electrically charged particle formed when an atom or molecule gains or loses electrons

Question 25

ionic equation

Answer 25

a chemical equation that shows how positively charges ions join with negatively charged ions to make a compound

Question 26

mass

Answer 26

the amount of matter an object contains. Mass is measured in kilograms (kg) or grams (g)

Question 27

metal

Answer 27

shinny object that is a good conductor of electricity and heat, and which forms basic oxides

Question 28

neutralization

Answer 28

the reaction between an acid and a base to form a salt plus water

Question 29

non-enclosed system

Answer 29

a system in which gases or other substances can enter or leave during a reaction

Question 30

periodic table

Answer 30

a tabular representation of all known elements in order based on atomic number, eg all the noble gasses are found on the right of the periodic table

Question 31

polyatomic ion

Answer 31

charged particle consisting of two or more atoms joined together

Question 32

precipitate

Answer 32

a suspension of particles in a liquid formed when a dissolved substance reacts to form an insoluble substance, eg in a precipitate reaction

Question 33

precipitate reaction

Answer 33

a reaction in which an insoluble solid is formed when certain solutions are mixed

Question 34

product

Answer 34

a substance formed in a chemical reaction

Question 35

ratio

Answer 35

a ratio is a way to compare amounts of something. it is usually written in the form a:b

Question 36

reactant

Answer 36

a substance that reacts together with another substance to form products during a chemical reaction

Question 37

relative atomic mass

Answer 37

the mean relative mass of the atoms of the different isotopes in an element. it is the number of times heavier an atom is than one-twelfth of a carbon-12 atom

Question 38

salt

Answer 38

a compound formed by the neutralization of an acid by a base, eg a metal oxide, as the result of hydrogen ions is the acid being replaced by metal ions or other positive ions. sodium chloride, common salt, is one such compound

Question 39

soluble

Answer 39

able to dissolve in a solvent

Question 40

solution

Answer 40

mixture formed by a solute and a solvent

Question 41

spectacular ion

Answer 41

an ion that is exactly the same on both sides of an ionic equation

Question 42

state symbol

Answer 42

a symbol used in chemical equations to show if a substance is a solid, a liquid, a gas, or an aqueous solution