Chemistry - Introductory

You'll be in your element when you review these terms related to chemistry. Learn about chemical reactions, atoms and molecules, phases of matter, and much more. This list is just the catalyst you need to improve your chemistry vocabulary.
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Full list of words from this list:

words only definitions & notes
  1. absorption
    a process in which one substance permeates another
  2. accuracy
    the quality of being near to the true value
  3. acid
    a sour water-soluble compound with a pH of less than 7
  4. atom
    the smallest component of an element
  5. balance
    bring into equilibrium
  6. base
    a compound reacting with an acid to form a salt and water
  7. beaker
    a flatbottomed jar made of glass or plastic
  8. boil
    bring to the temperature at which a liquid changes to vapor
  9. boiling point
    the temperature at which a liquid boils at sea level
  10. brittle
    having little elasticity
  11. buoyancy
    the tendency to float in water or other liquid
  12. catalyst
    substance that initiates or accelerates a chemical reaction
  13. charge
    the quantity of unbalanced electricity in a body
  14. chemical bond
    an electrical force linking atoms
  15. chemical change
    process determined by substances' composition and structure
  16. chemical formula
    a representation of a substance using symbols for its constituent elements
  17. chemical property
    a property used to characterize materials in reactions that change their identity
  18. chemical reaction
    a process in which substances are changed into others
  19. chemistry
    the science of matter
  20. combustion
    a reaction of a substance with oxygen to give heat and light
  21. composition
    the way in which someone or something is put together
  22. compound
    a substance formed by chemical union of two or more elements
  23. concentration
    the strength of a solution
  24. condensation
    process of changing from a gas to a liquid or solid state
  25. conduct
    transmit or serve as the medium for transmission
  26. conductivity
    the property of transmitting heat, electricity, or sound
  27. conductor
    a substance that readily serves as a medium for transmission
  28. crystal
    a solid having a highly regular atomic structure
  29. density
    the amount per unit size
  30. dilution
    a solution reduced in strength or concentration
  31. dissolve
    pass into a solution
  32. ductile
    capable of being shaped or bent or drawn out
  33. electron
    an elementary particle with negative charge
  34. element
    a substance that cannot be separated into simpler substances
  35. energy
    any source of usable power
  36. equilibrium
    a chemical reaction and its reverse proceed at equal rates
  37. evaporation
    the process of becoming a suspension of particles in the air
  38. freezing
    the withdrawal of heat to change something from a liquid to a solid
  39. freezing point
    the temperature below which a liquid turns into a solid
  40. gas
    state of matter distinguished from solid and liquid states
  41. heat
    a form of energy transferred by a difference in temperature
  42. law of conservation of matter
    a fundamental principle of classical physics that matter cannot be created or destroyed in an isolated system
  43. liquid
    fluid matter having no fixed shape but a fixed volume
  44. litmus test
    a method of determining if a solution is acidic or basic
  45. luster
    the property of something that shines with reflected light
  46. malleable
    capable of being shaped or bent
  47. mass
    the property of a body that causes it to have weight
  48. matter
    that which has mass and occupies space
  49. melting point
    the temperature at which a solid turns into a liquid
  50. metal
    a chemical element or alloy that is usually a shiny solid
  51. mixture
    a substance consisting of substances blended together
  52. molecule
    the simplest structural unit of an element or compound
  53. neutral
    having only a limited ability to react chemically
  54. neutron
    a subatomic particle with zero charge
  55. nucleus
    the positively charged dense center of an atom
  56. periodic table
    arrangement of chemical elements according to atomic number
  57. pH
    a measure of the acidity or alkalinity of a solution
  58. pH scale
    a measure of the acidity or alkalinity of a solution
  59. phase
    a distinct state of matter in a system
  60. phase change
    a change from one state (solid or liquid or gas) to another without a change in chemical composition
  61. physical change
    a change from one state (solid or liquid or gas) to another without a change in chemical composition
  62. physical property
    any property used to characterize matter and energy and their interactions
  63. precipitate
    a substance separated from a solution or suspension
  64. precision
    the quality of being exact
  65. product
    a chemical substance formed as a result of a reaction
  66. property
    a basic or essential attribute shared by members of a class
  67. proton
    a stable particle with positive charge
  68. reactant
    a substance that is altered during a chemical process
  69. reaction
    a process in which a substance is changed into another
  70. reagent
    a substance for use in chemical reactions
  71. salinity
    the relative proportion of salt in a solution
  72. solid
    matter with definite shape at room temperature and pressure
  73. solubility
    the quality of being easily dissolved in liquid
  74. solute
    the dissolved matter in a homogenous liquid mixture
  75. solution
    a homogeneous mixture of two or more substances
  76. solvent
    a liquid substance capable of dissolving other substances
  77. state of matter
    (chemistry) the three traditional states of matter are solids (fixed shape and volume) and liquids (fixed volume and shaped by the container) and gases (filling the container)
  78. substance
    a particular kind of matter with uniform properties
  79. surface tension
    phenomenon at a liquid's surface from intermolecular forces
  80. suspension
    a mixture in which fine particles are supported by buoyancy
  81. temperature
    the degree of hotness or coldness of a body or environment
  82. test tube
    glass tube closed at one end
  83. vaporization
    the process of becoming a suspension of particles in the air
  84. viscosity
    resistance of a liquid to flowing
  85. volume
    the amount of 3-dimensional space occupied by an object
  86. weight
    the vertical force exerted by a mass as a result of gravity
Created on Sun Feb 26 20:43:00 EST 2017 (updated Wed Apr 19 15:40:36 EDT 2017)

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