Biology Chapter 2 Flashcards
Matter
Anything that occupies space and has mass
Element
A substance that cannot be broken down to other substances through ordinary chemical means.
Compound
A substance consisting of two or more elements combined in a fixed ratio.
Trace elements
Elects that are essential to the human body but in very minute or small quantities.
Atom
The smallest unit of matter that has the properties of an element
Proton
Single subatomic particle with a positive charge.
Electron
Subatomic particle with a single negative charge.
Neutron
Is electrically neutral or has no charge
Nucleus
Central core of an atom.
Contains protons and neutrons on the inside
Atomic number
Number of protons in an atom of a specific element
Mass number
The sum of the protons and neutrons of an atom
Atomic mass
It is the total mass of an atom.
The atomic mass approximately equals the mass number
Isotopes
One of several forms of an atom. They have the same number of protons and behave identically in chemical reactions, but have a different amount of neutrons.
Radioactive isotope
An isotope whose nucleus decays spontaneously, giving off particles and energy.
Electron shells
An energy level representing the distance of an electron from the nucleus of an atom