Chem Vocab Unit 3 Flashcards
ground state
lowest energy state of the atom
orbital
3-dimensional region of space that indicates where there is a high probability of finding an electron
valence electrons
electrons in the highest occupied principal energy level of an atom
periodic law
law that states when elements are arranged in an order of increasing atomic number, there is a periodic repetition of their chemical and physical properties
group
vertical column of the periodic table
period
horizontal row of the periodic table
metals
element that is a good conductor of heat and electricity
nonmetals
element that is generally a poor conductor of heat and electricity
monatomic ions
ions that consist of a single atom with a positive or negative charge
polyatomic ion
an ion composed of more than one atom
oxidation number
positive or negative number that is assigned to an atom to indicate its degree of oxidation or reduction
metalloids
element that has properties that are intermediate between metals and nonmetals
ion
atom or group of atoms that has a positive or negative charge
octet rule
rule that states that atoms tend to form compounds in ways that give them eight valence electrons and thus the electron configuration of a noble gas
cation
positively charged ion
