Molecules and Minerals Flashcards
What happens to atoms outside the stellar realm?
Temperatures decrease, and atoms are surrounded by electron shells, leading to “normal chemistry” observed on Earth.
What is the modern understanding of atoms?
Atoms are mostly empty space with a small, positively charged nucleus surrounded by a cloud of negatively charged electrons.
What determines an element’s identity and chemical behaviour?
The number of protons in the nucleus determines an element’s identity and chemical behaviour.
How are isotopes of an element different?
Isotopes have the same electron configuration but may exhibit slightly different chemical behaviors due to slight mass differences.
What is the Periodic Table based on?
The Periodic Table reflects electron shell configurations, with rows indicating the number of electron shells and columns organized by the outermost electron configuration.
How do atoms achieve stable electron configurations?
Atoms share, donate, or receive electrons to achieve stable electron configurations, forming molecules.
Why are noble gases un-reactive?
Noble gases have completely filled electron shells, leading to low reactivity and existing in isolation.
How are ions formed?
Atoms may lose or gain electrons to achieve a filled shell structure, forming ions.
What elements make up over 98% of molecular matter in the universe?
Hydrogen, carbon, oxygen, magnesium, silicon, sulfur, calcium, and iron.
What are the four states of matter?
Solid, liquid, gas, and plasma.
How does pressure and temperature influence the state of substances?
Pressure and temperature influence state changes, with pressure pushing molecules closer together, favoring higher density states.
What determines a substance’s volatility?
Volatility determines whether a substance is solid, liquid, or gas under specific conditions, with highly volatile substances having low melting and boiling points.
What is the difference between organic and inorganic molecules?
Organic molecules contain carbon combined with hydrogen and often other elements, while inorganic molecules lack C-H bonds (e.g., CO2, CaCO3).
What are silicate minerals?
Silicate minerals are the most abundant minerals, primarily composed of silica tetrahedra.
What roles does water play in organic chemistry?
Water serves as a solvent in many organic reactions, crucial for biological processes.
What are the main types of complex organic molecules?
Carbohydrates, lipids, proteins, and nucleic acids.
What were the first elements and molecules in the universe?
Initially, only hydrogen and helium were abundant, with hydrogen and methane (CH4) among the earliest molecules.
What is the interstellar environment like for molecular construction?
The interstellar environment is characterized by low temperatures, sparse densities, and energetic particle radiation.
What have space telescopes revealed about molecules in interstellar clouds?
Over a hundred different molecules, including organic and potential prebiotic molecules, are abundant in these environments.
