2: The Chemical Foundation of Life

Question 1

molecule that donates hydrogen ions and increases the concentration of hydrogen ions in a solution

Answer 1

acid

Question 2

attraction between water molecules and other molecules

Answer 2

adhesion

Question 3

hydrocarbon consisting of a linear chain of carbon atoms

Answer 3

aliphatic hydrocarbon

Question 4

negative ion that is formed by an atom gaining one or more electrons

Answer 4

anion

Question 5

hydrocarbon consisting of closed rings of carbon atoms

Answer 5

aromatic hydrocarbon

Question 6

the smallest unit of matter that retains all of the chemical properties of an element

Answer 6

atom

Question 7

calculated mean of the mass number for an element’s isotopes

Answer 7

atomic mass

Question 8

total number of protons in an atom

Answer 8

atomic number

Question 9

statement of a chemical reaction with the number of each type of atom equalized for both the products and reactants

Answer 9

balanced chemical equation

Question 10

molecule that donates hydroxide ions or otherwise binds excess hydrogen ions and decreases the hydrogen ions’ concentration in a solution

Answer 10

base

Question 11

substance that resists a change in pH by absorbing or releasing hydrogen or hydroxide ions

Answer 11

buffer

Question 12

amount of heat required to change the temperature of one gram of water by one degree Celsius

Answer 12

calorie

Question 13

occurs because water molecules are attracted to charges on the inner surfaces of narrow tubular structures such as glass tubes, drawing the water molecules to the tubes’ sides

Answer 13

capillary action

Question 14

positive ion that is formed by an atom losing one or more electrons

Answer 14

cation

Question 15

interaction between two or more of the same or different atoms that results in forming molecules

Answer 15

chemical bond

Question 16

process leading to rearranging atoms in molecules

Answer 16

chemical reaction

Question 17

the ability to combine and to chemically bond with each other

Answer 17

chemical reactivity

Question 18

intermolecular forces between water molecules caused by the polar nature of water; responsible for surface tension

Answer 18

cohesion

Question 19

substance composed of molecules consisting of atoms of at least two different elements

Answer 19

compound

Question 20

type of strong bond formed between two atoms of the same or different elements; forms when electrons are shared between atoms

Answer 20

covalent bond

Question 21

release of an ion from a molecule such that the original molecule now consists of an ion and the charged remains of the original, such as when water ___s into H+ and OH-

Answer 21

dissociation

Question 22

ion necessary for nerve impulse conduction, muscle contractions, and water balance

Answer 22

electrolyte

Question 23

negatively charged subatomic particle that resides outside of the nucleus in the electron orbital; lacks functional mass and has a negative charge of –1 unit

Answer 23

electron

Question 24

arrangement of electrons in an atom’s electron shell (for example, 1s22s22p6)

Answer 24

electron configuration

Question 25

how electrons are spatially distributed surrounding the nucleus; the area where we are most likely to find an electron

Answer 25

electron orbital

Question 26

movement of electrons from one element to another; important in creating ionic bonds

Answer 26

electron transfer

Question 27

ability of some elements to attract electrons (often of hydrogen atoms), acquiring partial negative charges in molecules and creating partial positive charges on the hydrogen atoms

Answer 27

electronegativity

Question 28

one of 118 unique substances that cannot break down into smaller substances; each element has unique properties and a specified number of protons

Answer 28

element

Question 29

molecules that share overall structure and bonding patterns, but differ in how the atoms are three dimensionally placed such that they are mirror images of each other

Answer 29

enantiomers

Question 30

steady state of relative reactant and product concentration in reversible chemical reactions in a closed system

Answer 30

equilibrium

Question 31

change from liquid to gaseous state at a body of water's surface, plant leaves, or an organism's skin

Answer 31

evaporation

Question 32

group of atoms that provides or imparts a specific function to a carbon skeleton

Answer 32

functional group

Question 33

isomer with similar bonding patterns differing in the placement of atoms alongside a double covalent bond

Answer 33

geometric isomer

Question 34

high amount of energy required for liquid water to turn into water vapor

Answer 34

heat of vaporization of water

Question 35

molecule that consists only of carbon and hydrogen

Answer 35

hydrocarbon

Question 36

weak bond between slightly positively charged hydrogen atoms and slightly negatively charged atoms in other molecules

Answer 36

hydrogen bond

Question 37

describes ions or polar molecules that interact well with other polar molecules such as water

Answer 37

hydrophilic

Question 38

describes uncharged nonpolar molecules that do not interact well with polar molecules such as water

Answer 38

hydrophobic

Question 39

(also, noble gas) element with filled outer electron shell that is unreactive with other atoms

Answer 39

inert gas

Question 40

atom or chemical group that does not contain equal numbers of protons and electrons

Answer 40

ion

Question 41

chemical bond that forms between ions with opposite charges (cations and anions)

Answer 41

ionic bond

Question 42

chemical reaction where reactants proceed unidirectionally to form products

Answer 42

irreversible chemical reaction

Question 43

molecules that differ from one another even though they share the same chemical formula

Answer 43

isomers

Question 44

one or more forms of an element that have different numbers of electrons

Answer 44

isotope

Question 45

chemical law stating that the rate of a reaction is proportional to the concentration of the reacting substances

Answer 45

law of mass action

Question 46

(also, pH paper) filter paper treated with a natural water-soluble dye that changes its color as the pH of the environment changes in order to use it as a pH indicator

Answer 46

litmus paper

Question 47

total number of protons and neutrons in an atom

Answer 47

mass number

Question 48

anything that has mass and occupies space

Answer 48

matter

Question 49

two or more atoms chemically bonded together

Answer 49

molecule

Question 50

uncharged particle that resides in an atom's nucleus; has a mass of one amu

Answer 50

neutron

Question 51

type of covalent bond that forms between atoms when electrons are shared equally between them

Answer 51

nonpolar covalent bond

Question 52

core of an atom; contains protons and neutrons

Answer 52

nucleus

Question 53

rule that atoms are most stable when they hold eight electrons in their outermost shells

Answer 53

octet rule

Question 54

region surrounding the nucleus; contains electrons

Answer 54

orbital

Question 55

any molecule containing carbon (except carbon dioxide)

Answer 55

organic molecule

Question 56

organizational chart of elements indicating each element's atomic number and atomic mass; provides key information about the elements' properties

Answer 56

periodic table

Question 57

scale ranging from zero to 14 that is inversely proportional to the hydrogen ions' concentration in a solution

Answer 57

pH scale

Question 58

type of covalent bond that forms as a result of unequal electron sharing, resulting in creating slightly positive and negative charged molecule regions

Answer 58

polar covalent bond

Question 59

molecule that is result of chemical reaction

Answer 59

product

Question 60

positively charged particle that resides in the atom's nucleus; has a mass of one amu and a charge of +1

Answer 60

proton

Question 61

isotope that emits radiation comprised of subatomic particles to form more stable elements

Answer 61

radioisotope

Question 62

molecule that takes part in a chemical reaction

Answer 62

reactant

Question 63

chemical reaction that functions bidirectionally, where products may turn into reactants if their concentration is great enough

Answer 63

reversible chemical reaction

Question 64

substance capable of dissolving another substance

Answer 64

solvent

Question 65

the amount of heat one gram of a substance must absorb or lose to change its temperature by one degree Celsius

Answer 65

specific heat capacity

Question 66

when a polar water molecule surrounds charged or polar molecules thus keeping them dissolved and in solution

Answer 66

sphere of hydration

Question 67

molecules that share a chemical formula but differ in the placement of their chemical bonds

Answer 67

structural isomers

Question 68

hydrocarbon chain or ring containing an atom of another element in place of one of the backbone carbons

Answer 68

substituted hydrocarbon

Question 69

tension at the surface of a body of liquid that prevents the molecules from separating; created by the attractive cohesive forces between the liquid's molecules

Answer 69

surface tension

Question 70

outermost shell of an atom

Answer 70

valence shell

Question 71

very weak interaction between molecules due to temporary charges attracting atoms that are very close together

Answer 71

van der Waals interaction

Question 72

(AKA Dalton) - amount of mass in one proton or neutron

Answer 72

atomic mass unit (amu)