Chapter 2 Flashcards
Matter
Matter is anything that takes up space and has mass. Organisms are composed of matter.
Element
A substance that cannot be broken down to other substances by chemical reactions. Matter is made up of elements.
Compound
A substance consisting of two or more elements in a fixed ratio.
Essential Elements
Those needed by an organism to live a healthy life and reproduce.
Trace Elements
Required only in minute quantities.
Atom
The smallest unit of matter that still retains the properties of an element.
Subatomic Particles
Smaller particles that compose atoms.
Atomic Nucleus
The center mass of an atom. Composed of protons and neutrons.
3 Subatomic Particles
Neutrons, Protons, Electrons
Mass Number
The sum of protons and neutrons in the nucleus of an element.
Atomic mass
The total mass of an atom, can be approximated by the mass number.
Isotope
Different atomic forms of an element that differ in the number of neutrons. Radioactive isotopes decay spontaneously, giving off particles and energy.
Energy
The capacity to cause change.
Potential energy
The energy matter has because of its location or structure.
Electron shells
Characteristic average distances from the nucleus inhabited by electrons.
Properties of the electron shell
Energy level increases with distance from the nucleus. Electrons can move to higher or lower shells by absorbing or releasing energy respectively.
Valence Shell
Outermost shell of an atom. Chemical behavior of an atom mostly depends on the number of electrons in the valence shell.
Valence Electrons
Electrons that occupy the valence shell.
Chemical Bonds
Attractions between atoms with incomplete valence shells caused by the sharing of valence electrons.
Covalent Bond
The sharing of a pair of valence electrons by two atoms. The shared electrons count as a part of each atom’s valence shell.
Molecule
Two or more atoms held together by covalent bonds.
Single Bond/Double Bond
The sharing of one or two pairs of electrons.
Valence
The bonding capacity of an atom, the number of bonds that the atom can form. Usually corresponds to the number of electrons required to complete the atom.
Pure Elements
Composed of molecules of one type of atom. Such as H2 and O2.
Compounds
Molecules composed of two or more types of atoms.
Electronegativity
An atom’s attraction for the electrons of a covalent bond. The more electronegative an atom, the more strongly it pulls shared electrons toward itself.
Nonpolar Covalent Bond
Atoms share the electrons equally.