Molecules and Minerals

Question 1

What happens to atoms outside the stellar realm?

Answer 1

Temperatures decrease, and atoms are surrounded by electron shells, leading to “normal chemistry” observed on Earth.

Question 2

What is the modern understanding of atoms?

Answer 2

Atoms are mostly empty space with a small, positively charged nucleus surrounded by a cloud of negatively charged electrons.

Question 3

What determines an element’s identity and chemical behaviour?

Answer 3

The number of protons in the nucleus determines an element’s identity and chemical behaviour.

Question 4

How are isotopes of an element different?

Answer 4

Isotopes have the same electron configuration but may exhibit slightly different chemical behaviors due to slight mass differences.

Question 5

What is the Periodic Table based on?

Answer 5

The Periodic Table reflects electron shell configurations, with rows indicating the number of electron shells and columns organized by the outermost electron configuration.

Question 6

How do atoms achieve stable electron configurations?

Answer 6

Atoms share, donate, or receive electrons to achieve stable electron configurations, forming molecules.

Question 7

Why are noble gases un-reactive?

Answer 7

Noble gases have completely filled electron shells, leading to low reactivity and existing in isolation.

Question 8

How are ions formed?

Answer 8

Atoms may lose or gain electrons to achieve a filled shell structure, forming ions.

Question 9

What elements make up over 98% of molecular matter in the universe?

Answer 9

Hydrogen, carbon, oxygen, magnesium, silicon, sulfur, calcium, and iron.

Question 10

What are the four states of matter?

Answer 10

Solid, liquid, gas, and plasma.

Question 11

How does pressure and temperature influence the state of substances?

Answer 11

Pressure and temperature influence state changes, with pressure pushing molecules closer together, favoring higher density states.

Question 12

What determines a substance’s volatility?

Answer 12

Volatility determines whether a substance is solid, liquid, or gas under specific conditions, with highly volatile substances having low melting and boiling points.

Question 13

What is the difference between organic and inorganic molecules?

Answer 13

Organic molecules contain carbon combined with hydrogen and often other elements, while inorganic molecules lack C-H bonds (e.g., CO2, CaCO3).

Question 14

What are silicate minerals?

Answer 14

Silicate minerals are the most abundant minerals, primarily composed of silica tetrahedra.

Question 15

What roles does water play in organic chemistry?

Answer 15

Water serves as a solvent in many organic reactions, crucial for biological processes.

Question 16

What are the main types of complex organic molecules?

Answer 16

Carbohydrates, lipids, proteins, and nucleic acids.

Question 17

What were the first elements and molecules in the universe?

Answer 17

Initially, only hydrogen and helium were abundant, with hydrogen and methane (CH4) among the earliest molecules.

Question 18

What is the interstellar environment like for molecular construction?

Answer 18

The interstellar environment is characterized by low temperatures, sparse densities, and energetic particle radiation.

Question 19

What have space telescopes revealed about molecules in interstellar clouds?

Answer 19

Over a hundred different molecules, including organic and potential prebiotic molecules, are abundant in these environments.