Exam 1 Content Flashcards
matter
anything that takes up space and has mass
-made up of elements
element
a substance that cannot be broken down to other substances by chemical reactions
compound
a substance consisting of two or more elements in a fixed ratio
-has characteristics (emergent properties) different from those of its elements
Essential Elements
20%-25% of 92 natural elements are required for life
96% of living matter is
Carbon, Hydrogen, Oxygen, and Nitrogen
Most of Remaining 4% living matter is
Calcium, Phosphorus, Potassium, and Sulfur
trace elements
required by an organism in only minute quantities –> SMALL AMOUNTS
atom
smallest unit of matter that still retains the properties of an element
-composed of subatomic particles: neutrons, protons, electrons
what’s in the atomic nucleus
protons and neutrons
daltons
the measure of neutron and proton mass
electrons
are very small and ignored when calculating the total mass of an atom
atomic number
number of protons in the nucleus
atomic mass
atom’s total mass, can be approximated by the mass number (protons + neutrons)
isotopes
two different atoms of an element that differ in the number of neutrons
-same number of protons
radioactive isotopes
decay spontaneously, giving off particles and energy
-often used as diagnostic tool in medicine
radioactive tracers
can be used to track atoms through metabolism
-they can be used in combination with sophisticated imaging instruments
half-life
a “parent” isotope decays into its “daughter” isotope at a fixed rate
Radiometric dating
Scientists measure the ratio of different isotopes and calculate how many half-lives have passed since the fossil or rock was formed
Energy
The capacity to cause change
Potential energy
The energy that matter possesses because of its location or structure (holds the energy)
Energy levels of electrons
Electrons of an atom differ in their amounts of potential energy based on their distance from the nucleus
- changes in potential energy of electrons can occur only in steps of fixed amounts
Electron shells
An energy level of electrons at a characteristic average distance form the nucleus of an atom
Valence electrons
An electron in the outermost electrons shell
Valence shell
The outermost energy shell of an atom, containing the valence electrons involved int he chemical reactions of that atom