Chapter 9 Flashcards
absolute zero
the lowest temperature theoretically possible; the temperature at which all molecular motion ceases.
barometer
a device for measuring atmospheric pressure
barometric pressure
the local value of atmospheric pressure.
boiling point
the temperature at which a substance enters a phase transition from a liquid to a gas (or vapor), or vice versa.
brittleness
a physical property that describes a substance’s tendency to shatter
chemical property
a property that describes chemical reactions a substance will or will not engage in.
combustion
a chemical reaction in which a substance combines with oxygen to produce heat and flame.
compressive strength
a physical property that describes the ability of a substance to withstand crushing forces.
corrosion
the destructive oxidation of metal.
density
the ratio of mass for a substance; the physical property that describes the amount of mass in a given volume.
ductility
a physical property, typical of many metals, that indicates that a substance can be drawn into a wire by pulling the substance through a die (a metal block with a hole in it).
elasticity
a physical property that describes a substances ability to stretch without breaking or becoming permanently deformed.
electrical conductivity
a physical property that describes the ability of a substance to conduct electricity. metals typically have a high electrical conductivity.
evaporation
when a substance undergoes the phase transition from a liquid to a vapor without first being heated to boiling point.
flammable
a physical property that describes a substance’s ability to burn. combustable.
hardness
a physical property that describes a substance’s ability to resist scratching.
heat of fusion
the energy required to melt a solid substance while keeping its temperature the same.
heat of vaporization
the energy required to vaporize (boil) a liquid substance while keeping its temperature the same.
incompressibility
a property of solids and liquids, since they typically do not change in volume when under pressure (at least not much).
inflammable
flammable.
luster
shininess; a physical property.
malleability
a physical property that indicates a substance’s ability to be hammered into thin sheets; typical of many metals.
melting point
the temperature at which a substance undergoes the phase transition from a solid to a liquid or vice versa.
oxidation
when an atom loses electrons to become a positively charged ion.
phase diagram
a graph of temp. vs. energy for a particular substance, showing at least one phase transition.
phase transition
the process of a substance changing phase from solid to liquid, liquid to gas, solid to gas, etc.
physical property
a non-chemical characteristic of a substance.
plasma
an ionized gas, recognized as one of the four phases of matter, the other three being solid, liquid ,or gas (vapor).
pressure
the amount of force present per unit area on a surface
shear strength
a physical property that describes a substance’s ability to withstand shearing forces (forces that tend to cut a substance in two).
sublimation
a phase transition in which a substance transitions from a solid to a gas without going through the liquid phase.
tensile strength
a physical property that indicates a substance’s ability to withstand stretching forces.
thermal conductivity
a physical property that indicates the ability of a substance to conduct heat.
thermal properties
properties that describe how a substance acts as it is heated.
vapor
the gaseous phase of matter; a term applied to describe the gaseous state of substances that are solids or liquids at room temperature.
vaporization
the process of transitioning to a vapor phase; boiling.
