General Chemistry Flashcards
Anode
The electrode at which oxidation occurs during a cell’s redox reaction. Electrons always flow from the anode in an electrochemical cell
Alkali Metals
The highly reactive elements found in Group IA of the periodic table (except for hydrogen)
Solute
A compound, commonly a solid, dissolved in a solvent to create a solution
Exothermic Reaction
A reaction that proceeds with the net release of energy (heat) into the surroundings
Decomposition Reaction
A chemical reaction in which one substance breaks down into multiple substances (e.g., C –> A + B)
Chemical Kinetics
The study of reaction rates and the factors that affect them
Aqueous Solution
A solution with water as its solvent
Effective Nuclear Charge
The attractive force a valence electron feels from the nucleus, after accounting for the shielding effect of inner core electrons.
Reduction
Part of a reaction in which a species gains electrons
Non-polar Covalent Bond
A type of covalent bond between atoms with the same electronegativities resulting in the equal sharing of electrons
Molecule
Two or more atoms joined by covalent bonds. A molecule is the smallest unit of a compound that still retains all the chemical properties of that compound
Effusion
the movement of gas through a small opening into an area of lower pressure
Bond Energy
the energy required to break one mole of a chemical bond; bond enthalpy
Law of Conservation of Energy
Law stating that energy cannot be created nor destroyed but only transferred and transformed
Adiabatic Process
A process in which no heat is transferred to or from the system by its surroundings
Titration
An analytical procedure in which a solution of known concentration is slowly added to a solution of unknown concentration to the point of molar equivalency, thereby providing the concentration of the unknown solution
Ideal Gas
A hypothetical gas whose particles would occupy zero volume and have no attractive intermolecular forces
Formula Weight
The sum of all the masses (in amu) present in one molecule of a molecular compound. Also called molecular weight
Conjugate Acids and Bases
A systematic pairing of a deprotonated species (base) with its protonated form of (conjugated acid). Conjugates appear on opposite sides of a chemical equation
Atomic Weight
The average mass, measured in amu, of all the isotopes of a given element as they occur naturally
Endothermic Reaction
A reaction that proceeds with the net absorption of energy (heat) from the surroundings
Molecular Formula
A chemical formula showing the actual number of atoms present in a certain compound
Free Radical
At atom, usually a monoatomic halogen, that has an unpaired electron in its valence shell. Molecules whose substituents have unpaired electrons are also called free radicals
Reversible Reaction
A process that can proceed bidirectionally to form both product and reactant
State Function
A function that depends only on the initial and final states of a system, not on the path in between
Atom
The basic building block of all matter in the universe. An atom is made up of three main components: protons, neutrons, and electrons
Electronegativity
A measure of an atom’s ability to pull electron diversity toward itself when involved in a chemical bond. Increases from left to right and from bottom to top on the periodic table
Metalloids
B, Si, Ge, As, Sb, Te, and Po are called metalloids and have properties that are in between those of metals and nonmetals
Common Ion Effect
The effect by which the molar solubility of one salt is reduced when another salt, having a common ion, is brought into the same solution
Cathode
The electrode at which reduction occurs during a cell’s redox reaction. Electrons always flow towards the cathode in an electrochemical cell
Neutron
A subatomic particle with zero electric charge that is slightly heavier than a proton
Azeotrope
A liquid mixture of two or more substances that has its own constant boiling point, different from the
Indicator
A chemical species that changes color when undergoing dissociation. Indicators are used to signal the equivalence point of a titration
Polar Covalent Bond
A type of covalent bond between atoms of different electronegativities resulting in unequal sharing of electron density. Therefore, polar bonds have partial positive and partial negative poles
Empirical Formula
Chemical formula showing the smallest whole-number ration of atoms in a compound
Electron
A subatomic particle that orbits the nucleus and has a negative charge. The electron has a negligible mass and is often denoted by the symbol e-
Galvanic Cell
An electrochemical cell powered by a spontaneous redox reaction that produces an electric current flow; also called a voltaic cell
Vapor Pressure
The partial pressure of a vapor when it is in equilibrium with its solid or liquid phase
Common Ion Effect
The effect by which the molar solubility of one salt is reduced when another salt, having a common ion, is brought into the same solution
Colligative Properties
Certain properties of solutions - such as vapor pressure lowering, freezing point depression, boiling point elevation, and osmotic pressure-that are affected by the number of solute particles dissolved
Ionic Bond
A type of chemical bond in which there is a complete transfer of valence electrons to form positive and negative ions that are subsequently bound by electrostatic forces
Triple Point
The point on a phase diagram at which a substance exists in equilibrium between all three phases
Atomic Number
The number of protons in a single atom of an element, often denoted by the letter Z
Neutralization Reaction
A reaction in which an acid and a base are combined to form water and a salt
VSEPR
The acronym for Valence Shell Electron Pair Repulsion theory, which states that the three-dimensional molecular geometry about a central atom is determined by the electronic repulsions between its bonding and nonbonding electron pairs
Equilibrium
A dynamic point reached by a reversible reaction in which the rate of the forward reaction is equal to the rate of the reverse reaction. At chemical equilibrium, there is no net change in the concentrations of the products and reactants
Phase Diagram
A pressure versus temperature plot showing the conditions under which a substance exists in each phase–solid, liquid, or gas–and at which points those phases are in equilibrium with one another
Diffusion
Passive transport of a gas or solute throughout a medium by means of random motion
Reaction Quotient
A ratio of the concentrations of the products to the concentrations of the reactants at a given point during a reaction, commonly denoted by the letter by Q. In the expression, each reactant and product is raised to the power of its stoichiometric coefficient
Solution Equilibrium
The point at which a solution is fully saturated. At this point, the rate of dissociation of the solute equals the rate of its precipitation, and no further solute will dissolve
Normality
The gram equivalent weight of solute per liter of solution, often denoted by the letter N
