Chemistry Vocabulary

1. gas = particles that fill their container though have no definite shape or volume
2. acid = a compound that, when dissolved in water, gives a pH of less than 7.0 or a compound that donates a hydrogen ion
3. actinides = the fifteen chemical elements that are between actinium
(89) and lawrencium (103 )
4. aeration = the mixing of air into a liquid or solid
5. alkali metals = the metals of Group 1 on the periodic table
6. allomer = a substance that has different composition than another, but has the same crystalline structure
7. allotropy = elements that can have different structures (and therefore different forms), such as Carbon (diamonds , graphite , and fullerene )
8. anion = negatively charge ions anode
9. aromaticity = chemical property of conjugated rings that results in unusual stability. See also benzene
10. atom = a chemical element in its smallest form, and is made up of neutrons and protons within the nucleus and electrons circling the nucleus atomic mass unit
11. biochemistry = the chemistry of organisms
12. catalyst = a chemical compound used to change the rate (either to speed up or slow down) of a reaction, but is regenerated at the end of the reaction.
13. cation = positively charged ion
14. centrifuge = equipment used to separate substances based on density by rotating the tubes around a centred axis
15. colloid = mixture of evenly dispersed substances, such as many milks
16. combustion = an exothermic reaction between an oxidant and fuel with heat and often light
17. compound = a substance that is made up of two or more chemically bonded elements
18. condensation = the phase change from gas to liquid
19. conductor = material that allows electric flow more freely
20. covalent bond = chemical bond that involves sharing electrons
21. crystal = a solid that is packed with ions, molecules or atoms in an orderly fashion
22. cuvette = glassware used in spectroscopic experiments. It is usually made of plastic, glass or quartz and should be as clean and clear as possible
23. deionization = the removal of ions, and in water’s case mineral ions such as sodium, iron and calcium
24. deliquescence = substances that absorb water from the atmosphere to form liquid solutions
25. deposition = settling of particles within a solution or mixture
26. dipole = electric or magnetic separation of charge
27. electrolyte = a solution that conducts a certain amount of current and can be split categorically as weak and strong electrlytes
28. electromagnetism = fields that have electric charge and electric properties that change the way that particles move and interact
29. electron = a subatomic particle with a net charge that is negative
30. element = an atom that is defined by its atomic number
31. enthalpy = measure of the total energy of a thermodynamic system (usually symbolized as H )
32. entropy = the amount of energy not available for work in a closed thermodynamic system (usually symbolized as S)
33. enzyme – a protein that speeds up (catalyses) a reaction
34. freezing – phase transition from liquid to solid
35. galvanic cell = battery made up of electrochemical with two different metals connected by salt bridge
36. accuracy = how close a value is to the actual or true value; also see precision
37. geochemistry = the chemistry of and chemical composition of the Earth
38. Gibbs energy = value that indicates the spontaneity of a reaction (usually symbolized as G )
39. halogens = Group 17 on the Periodic Table and are all non-metals
40. jodium = Latin name of the halogen element iodine