Brainscape's Knowledge GenomeTM

Browse over 1 million classes created by top students, professors, publishers, and experts.


See full index

General Chemistry I > [NOTES] Chapter 2: The Components of Matter > Flashcards

[NOTES] Chapter 2: The Components of Matter Flashcards

1
Q

Element

A

The simplest type of matter with unique physical and chemical properties

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
2
Q

Atom

A

The smallest unit of an element that retains its chemical nature

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
3
Q

Compound

A

Consists of two or more different elements that are bonded chemically
- elements are present in fixed parts by mass (fixed mass ratio) because each unit of a compound consists of a fixed number of atoms of each element
- a compound’s properties are different from the properties of its elements

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
4
Q

Mixture

A

Consists of two or more substances (elements and/or compounds that are physically intermingled, not chemically combined

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
5
Q

Law of Mass Conservation

A

The total mass of substances does not change during a chemical reaction
- mass cannot be created nor destroyed

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
6
Q

Law of Definite (or constant) Composition

A

No matter what its sourced, a particular compound is composed of the same elements in the same parts (fractions) by mass

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
7
Q

Fraction by Mass (Mass Fraction)

A

The part of the compound’s mass that each element contributes
- mass fraction = (mass of element X in compound A) / mass of compound A

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
8
Q

Percent by Mass (Mass percent, mass %)

A

The fraction by mass expressed as a percentage (multiplied by 100)
- mass percent = mass friction x 100

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
9
Q

Postulates of the Atomic Theory

A
  1. All matter consists of atoms
  2. Atoms of one element cannot be converted into atoms of another element
  3. Atoms of an element are identical in mass and other properties and are different from atoms of any other element
  4. Compounds result from the chemical combination of a specific ratio of atoms of different elements
How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
10
Q

Mass Conservation

A

Atoms cannot be created or destroyed (P1) or converted into other types of atoms (P2), therefore, a chemical reaction cannot possibly result in a mass change because atoms are just combined differently

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
11
Q

Definite Composition

A

A compound is a combination of a specific ratio of different atoms (P4), each of which has a particular mass (P3), thus, each element in a compound must constitute a fixed fraction of the total mass

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
12
Q

Multiple Proportions

A

Atoms of an element have the same mass (P3) and are indivisible (P1). The masses of element B that combine with a fixed mass of element A must give a small, whole-number ratio because different numbers of B atoms combine with each A atom in different compounds

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
13
Q

Cathode Rays

A

Originated at the negative electrode (cathode) and moved to the positive electrode (anode)
- ex. when the electric power source was turned on, a “ray” could be seen striking the phosphor-coated end of the tube, which emitted a glowing spot of light

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
14
Q

Ernest Rutherford’s Conclusion

A

Alpha particles were being repelled by something small, dense, and positive; he found
- an atom is mostly space occupied by electrons
- the center contains a tiny region called the “nucleus”, that contains all the positive charge and essentially all the mass of the atom

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
15
Q

Proton (p^+)

A

Positive charge in the nucleus, 1+

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
16
Q

Neutron (n^0)

A

No charge, in the nucleus
- mass of proton or neutron is nearly 2000x the mass of an electron

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
17
Q

Electron (e^-)

A

Negative charge, 1-
- an atom is neutral because the number of protons in the nucleus equals the number of electrons surrounding the nucleus

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
18
Q

Atomic Number (Z)

A

Equals the number of protons in the nucleus of each of its atoms
- all atoms of an element have the same atomic number, and the atomic number of each element is different from that of any other element

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
19
Q

Mass Number (AO

A

The total number of protons and neutrons in the nucleus of an atom
- each proton and each neutron contributes one unit to the mass number

20
Q

Atomic (Element) Symbol

A

Element name based on its English, Latin, or Greek name

21
Q

Isotopes

A

Atoms that have different numbers of neutrons and therefore different mass numbers
- most elements occur in nature in a particular isotopic composition, which specifies the proportional abundance of each of its isotopes

22
Q

Atomic Mass Unit (amu)

A

A measurement relative to the mass of an atomic standard (carbon-12 atom), therefor the amu is 1/12 the mass of a carbon-12 atom
- the unit has, however, been changed to the dalton (Da)

23
Q

Mass Spectrometry

A

A method for measuring the relative masses and abundances of atomic-scale particles very precisely

24
Q

Periodic Table of the Elements

A

Based on Mendeleev’s version (but arranged by atomic number, not mass), is one of the great classifying schemes in science and an indispensable tool
- boxes are arranged into a grid of periods (horizontal rows) and groups (vertical columns)

25
Q

Ionic Compounds

A

Transferring elections from atoms of one element to atoms of another to form

26
Q

Covalent Compounds

A

Sharing electrons between atoms of different elements

27
Q

Chemical Bonds

A

The forces that hold the atoms together in a compound

28
Q

Ions

A

Charged particles that form when an atom (or small group of atoms) gains or loses one or more electrons

29
Q

Binary Ionic Compound

A

Simplest type of ionic compound where one composed of ions of two elements, it is typically formed when a metal reacts with a nonmetal

30
Q

Cation

A

A positively charged ion when a metal atom loses one or more electrons

31
Q

Anion

A

Negatively charged ions, each nonmetal atom gains one or more of the electrons lost by the metal atom

32
Q

Monatomic Ion

A

A cation or an anion derived from a single atom

33
Q

Coulomb’s Law

A

The energy of attraction (or repulsion) between two particles is directly proportional to the product of the charges and inversely proportional to the distance between them
- energy <>< (charge 1 X charge 2)/distance
- Ions with higher charges (or repel) each other more strongly than do ions with lower charges
- Smaller ions attract (or repel) each other more strongly than do larger ions, because the charges are closer to each other

34
Q

Covalent Bond

A

A pair of electrons mutually attracted by the two nuclei

35
Q

Polyatomic Ions

A

Consists of two or more atoms bonded covalently and have a net positive or negative charge

36
Q

Chemical Formula

A

Element symbols and numerical subscripts show the type and number of each atom in the smallest unit of the substance

37
Q

Formula Unit

A

Contains the relative numbers of cations and anions in the compound

38
Q

Oxoanions (Oxyanions)

A

Element, usually a nonmental, is bonded to one or more oxygen atoms

39
Q

Hydrates

A

Ionic compounds that have a specific number of water molecules in each formula unit

40
Q

Binary Covalent Compounds

A

Typically formed by the combination of two nonmetals

41
Q

Molecular Mass/Weight

A

Of a molecule or formula unit of the compound as the sum of the atomic masses
- Molecular Mass = sum of atomic masses

42
Q

Heterogeneous Mixture

A

Has one or more visible boundaries among the components

43
Q

Homogeneous Mixture (or Solution)

A

Has no visible boundaries because the components are individual atoms, ions, or molecules

44
Q

Filtration

A

Based on differences in particle size and is often used to separate a solid from a liquid, which flows through the tiny holes in filter paper as the solid is retained

45
Q

Crystallization

A

Based on differences in solubility, refers to a substance that dissolves in a fixed volume of a solvent at a given temperature

46
Q

Distillation

A

Separates components through differences in volatility, the tendency of a substance to become a gas

General Chemistry I (12 decks)

Brainscape helps you reach your goals faster, through stronger study habits.
© 2025 Bold Learning Solutions. Terms and Conditions