chapter 3 Flashcards
Element
A material that cannot be separated into multiple materials
Atom
The smallest particle of an element
Nucleus
Made up of protons and neutrons, found in the center of an atom
Proton
A particle that has a positive electrical charge
Neutron
A particle with no electrical charge
Atomic number
The number of protons in an atom’s nucleus
Mass number
The combined number of protons and neutrons in the nucleus
Electron
A particle that orbits the atom’s nucleus and has a negative electrical charge
Energy level
The area in the atom where an electron is most likely to be found
Valence electrons
Elections that are in the outermost energy level that determine the chemical behavior of different elements
Isotopes
Atoms of an element that have differing numbers of neutrons
Atomic mass
The average of the mass numbers of isotopes of an element
Radioactivity
The spontaneous process when unstable nuclei emit radiation
Compound
Something that is made up of two or more elements
Chemical bonds
The forces that hold elements together in compounds
Covalent bond
When two atoms share electrons to gain electrons
Molecule
Two or more atoms held together by sharing electrons
Ion
An atom that gains or loses an electron
Ionic bond
The force between two ions of opposite charge
Chemical reaction
A change of a substance into another substance
Solution
A mixture in which the contents are indistinguishable
Acid
A solution with a pH of less than 7 and produces H+
Base
A solution with a pH of over 7 and produces OH-
Crystalline structure
A structure in a solid where the particles are arranged in geometric patterns
Glasses
Solids with atoms that are close together and have no pattern
Evaporation
A process in which a liquid turns into a gas
Sublimation
A process in which a solid turns into a gas without becoming a liquid first
Plasmas
A gas that has been heated to an extremely high temperature where electrons are separated from atoms
Condensation
A process in which gas changes into a liquid
Mineral
A naturally occurring substance with a crystalline structure
Crystal
A solid that has a repeating pattern of atoms
