Ch 7 Vocab Flashcards
Radiation that consists of wave-like electric and magnetic fields
Including light, microwaves, radio signals, and x-rays
Electromagnetic Radiation
Lambda
The distance between successive maximums or minimums in a wave
Wavelength
The number of complete waves passing a point in a given amount of time
Frequency
The unit of frequency, or cycles per second
Hertz
The maximum height of a wave, as measured from the axis of propagation
Amplitude
A point of zero amplitude of a wave
Node
A single-frequency wave having fixed points of zero amplitude
Standing Wave
The proportionality constant that relates the frequency of radiation to its energy
Plancks Constant
The ejection of electrons from a metal bombarded with light of at least a minimum frequency
Photoelectric Effect
A “particle” of electromagnetic radiation having zero mass and an energy given by Plancks law
Photon
The spectrum of light emitted by excited atoms in the gas phase, consisting of discrete wavelengths
Line Emission Spectrum
The state of an atom in which all electrons are in the lowest possible energy levels
Ground State
The state of an atom in which at least one electron is not in the lowest possible energy level
Excited State
A general theoretical approach to atomic behavior that describes the electron in an atom as a matter wave
Quantum Mechanics
The idea that the electron has properties of both a wave and a particle
Wave-Particle Duality
A set of equations that characterize the electron as a matter wave
Wave Function(s)
The probability of finding an atomic electron within a given region of space, related to the square of the electrons wave function
Electron Density
The matter wave for an allowed energy state of an electron in an atom or molecule
Orbital(s)
A set of numbers with integer values that define properties of an atomic orbital
Quantum Number(s)
A surface on which there is zero probability of finding an electron
Nodal Surface
