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Chemistry SCI105 > Lesson 1 Fundamental Concepts > Flashcards

Lesson 1 Fundamental Concepts Flashcards

week 1 (86 cards)

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1
Q

Define chemistry and its main goal

A

Chemistry examines the fundamental atomic nature of matter and its behavior under commonplace conditions.

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2
Q

What is the significance of chemistry?

A

The significance of chemistry is exceedingly difficult to overemphasize.

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3
Q

What is matter composed of?

A

All matter consists of granular atoms bound by the electrical force (charge).

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4
Q

What are the charges carried by protons and electrons?

A

Protons carry a positive charge (1+), and electrons carry a negative charge (1-).

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5
Q

Where are protons and neutrons located within an atom?

A

Protons and neutrons are located in the central nucleus of an atom.

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6
Q

How are atoms classified?

A

Atoms are classified as neutral species; charged species are referred to as ions.

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7
Q

What are cations and anions?

A

Cations are positively charged ions, and anions are negatively charged ions.

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8
Q

What determines the type of atom (element)?

A

The type of atom is determined by the number of protons it houses.

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9
Q

What is the valence shell?

A

The valence shell is the outermost shell of an atom where valence electrons are located.

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10
Q

What is the role of valence electrons in chemical bonding?

A

Valence electrons aggregate to produce chemical bonds, leading to more stable (lower energy states).

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11
Q

List the key cornerstones of chemistry.

A
  • Matter is made of atoms
  • Atoms bond by the electrical force to lower energy states using valence electrons.
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12
Q

What is the atomic number (Z)?

A

The atomic number is the unique number of protons in an element, ranging from 1 to 100.

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13
Q

What is an isotope?

A

Isotopes are variants of atoms belonging to a particular element with the same number of protons but a different number of neutrons.

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14
Q

What is the mass of a hydrogen atom set at?

A

The mass of a hydrogen atom is arbitrarily set at 1 atomic mass unit (amu).

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15
Q

How many electrons can the first and second shells accommodate?

A

The first shell can accommodate a maximum of 2 electrons, and the second shell can accommodate a maximum of 8 electrons.

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16
Q

What happens during chemical reactions?

A

Reactants rearrange to form more stable products; reactant bonds are broken and new bonds are formed.

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17
Q

What types of chemical bonding exist?

A

The two main types of chemical bonding are ionic and covalent.

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18
Q

How do ionic bonds form?

A

Ionic bonds result from the transfer of electrons, generating ions with opposite charges that attract each other.

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19
Q

What characterizes covalent bonds?

A

Covalent bonds emerge from the sharing of electrons between atoms.

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20
Q

True or False: Electrons are arranged in layers called shells.

A

True

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21
Q

Fill in the blank: The mass of any object equals the sum of the masses of its constituent _______.

A

[atoms]

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22
Q

What is the negligible mass of an electron compared to a proton?

A

The mass of an electron is 1/1800 amu.

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23
Q

What remains unaltered during chemical reactions?

A

The type of atom (element) and its inner core of electrons remain unaltered.

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24
Q

What is the main study focus of chemistry?

A

Chemistry is the study of valence electron location and movement.

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25
What is a law in scientific terms?
A descriptive statement summarising what happens based on repeated observations under many and varied conditions.
26
Does a law provide explanations and theoretical claims?
No.
27
Give an example of a law.
Law of Conservation of Mass states that the mass of all material involved in a chemical or physical change remains constant.
28
What is a theory?
A comprehensive and testable explanation for how things happen.
29
Provide an example of a theory.
The atomic theory states that all matter is made of indestructible atoms which are the mass carrying components of matter.
30
What prediction arises from the atomic theory?
In all chemical and physical changes, the mass of material involved must stay the same.
31
What is an hypothesis?
A testable explanation for how things happen that is not yet thoroughly tested or widely accepted.
32
What does an hypothesis imply?
Conjecture, guess, speculation, needs more testing and evidence.
33
How is a rule defined in scientific terms?
Summarises what happens based on repeated observations but acknowledges frequent exceptions.
34
How does a rule differ from a law?
A rule explicitly acknowledges frequent exceptions.
35
What is the purpose of a rule?
To generalise and simplify complex systems by identifying common patterns.
36
Give an example of a rule.
The octet rule states that atoms react to form a full octet (eight) electrons in their valence shell.
37
True or False: The octet rule applies to all elements without exception.
False.
38
Fill in the blank: A law does not provide _______ or theoretical claims.
explanations
39
Fill in the blank: An hypothesis is similar to a theory but is not yet _______ or widely accepted.
thoroughly tested
40
What does atomic theory state about matter?
Matter comprises immutable atoms.
41
What particles make up an atom and their respective charges?
* Protons (1+) * Neutrons (0) * Electrons (1-)
42
How is atomic identity determined?
Atomic identity is determined by proton count.
43
What is the significance of valence electrons in chemistry?
Chemistry centres on valence (outer shell) electron location and movement.
44
How strong is the electrical force compared to gravity?
The electrical force is approximately 10^20 times more powerful than gravity.
45
What prevents electrons from piling up on positively charged nuclei?
The locations of electrons are governed by the principles of quantum mechanics.
46
What force prevents atomic nuclei from disintegrating?
The strong nuclear force generated by the balance of protons and neutrons.
47
What is the primary reason atoms aggregate in chemical bonding?
Atoms aggregate to achieve more stable (lower energy states).
48
What is an ionic bond?
An ionic bond involves one atom completely donating electrons to another.
49
How are covalent bonds conceptualized?
Covalent bonds involve the sharing of electrons between atoms.
50
What characterizes metallic bonds?
Metallic bonds involve positively charged metal ions held together by a sea of mobile electrons.
51
What evidence indicates the properties of solid ionic compounds?
Solid ionic compounds do not conduct electricity; aqueous solutions and molten states conduct electricity.
52
What indicates electron mobility in solid metals?
Solid metals readily conduct electricity.
53
What is a feature of solid covalent compounds regarding electricity?
With very rare exceptions, solid covalent compounds do not conduct electricity.
54
What is the convention regarding the term 'atom'?
The term 'atom' refers only to a neutral species with equal numbers of protons and electrons.
55
What are anions and cations?
* Anions are negatively charged * Cations are positively charged.
56
What is the charge size of electrons and protons?
Electrons and protons carry exactly the same size of opposite charges, set to 1 for convenience.
57
Are electrons independent from atoms?
Electrons are not independent from atoms; they are always connected to atoms or molecules.
58
What does the notation Na → Na+ + 1e- imply?
Sodium (Na) is giving up one of its electrons to something else.
59
What is the difference between 'valence' and 'valence electrons'?
'Valence' refers to the number of electrons given, taken, or shared, whereas 'valence electrons' refers to the number of electrons in the outer shell.
60
Fill in the blank: If an electron is added to anything, that thing’s charge becomes more _______.
negative.
61
Fill in the blank: If an electron leaves something, that thing’s charge becomes more _______.
positive.
62
What are the major ways in which the elements are organised in the Periodic Table?
Metals and non-metals; blocks (s, p, d, f), groups (main groups are in blocks s & p), periods
63
Why are groups considered the most important organisational unit in the Periodic Table?
Elements in the same groups have similar properties due to their electrons being arranged in similar patterns
64
What is the electronic behaviour of main group elements?
They tend to give, take, or share electrons (valence) based on their position relative to the Noble Gases
65
What does the Periodic Table systematise?
Extensive experimental data accumulated over centuries
66
Do all elements occur naturally in their elemental forms?
No, several elements exist only in compounds, chemically combined with other elements
67
What reflects the arrangement of elements in the Periodic Table?
The properties of the elements
68
How are elements arranged in the Periodic Table?
Based on the arrangement of their electrons
69
How are electrons arranged in relation to the nucleus?
Electrons are arranged in shells and are numbered successively from 1 moving out from the nucleus
70
What are the subshells within electron shells?
s, p, d & f
71
What is the maximum number of electrons each subshell can contain?
s: 2, p: 6, d: 10, f: 14
72
What does the s block consist of?
Two groups, aligning with the subshell's capacity to house a maximum of 2 electrons
73
What does the p block consist of?
Six groups, aligning with the subshell's capacity to house a maximum of 6 electrons
74
Is there a standardised Periodic Table?
No, there is no such thing as a standardised Periodic Table
75
How are elements classified in the Periodic Table?
Into metals, non-metals, and metalloids
76
What is a general rule regarding metals and non-metals?
Metals typically donate electrons, while non-metals either accept electrons or share electrons
77
What characterizes Noble gases in the Periodic Table?
They are generally inert and have complete electron shells
78
What do elements in the same group exhibit?
Analogous chemical properties stemming from similar outer electron configurations
79
What are main-group elements also known as?
Representative elements
80
Why are main-group elements the focus of introductory chemistry courses?
They exhibit the most predictable behaviour
81
How do main-group elements form compounds?
By gaining, losing, or sharing electrons to attain a stable electron configuration similar to that of their nearest noble gas
82
What is the positional valence rule?
Predictions about the chemical behaviour of main-group elements can be made based on their proximity to the nearest noble gas
83
Do transition metals comply with the positional valence rule?
No, they do not comply with the positional valence rule
84
What misconception might beginners have about elements in chemistry?
That all elements 'do the Noble Gas thing'
85
What does the Periodic Table show patterns of?
Elemental properties, not atomic properties or isotopes
86
Are there exceptions and imperfections in the Periodic Table's patterns?
Yes, there are exceptions and ongoing debates about some elements' positions

Chemistry SCI105 (5 decks)

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