chemistry basics
substances made of two or more elements chemically bonded; a pure substance
What is a compound?
substances that are broken apart or combined in a chemical reaction. Found on the left side of the equation.
What are the reactants?
the physical property of shininess or the way a substance reflects light
What is luster?
chemicals with a pH lower than 7; sour tasting (if a food), corrosive compounds that react with metals
What is an acid?
a one, two, or three letter representation of an element; the first letter is always capitalized
What is a chemical symbol?
atoms of the same kind that cannot be broken down further by physical or chemical means; a pure substance
What is an element?
tiny particles of solid in a liquid, made by a chemical reaction when two solutions are combined
What is a precipitate?
temperature at which a substance changes from a liquid to a gas; a physical property
What is boiling point?
chemicals with a pH higher than 7; bitter-tasting, usually solid substances that feel slippery when dissolved in water
What is a base?
one of the large classifications of elements generally located on the right side of the periodic table – to the right of the zigzag line
What are nonmetals?
smallest part of an element; basic building block of all substances
What is an atom?
a change in which one or more substances combine or break apart to form new substances
What is a chemical change?
a physical property of metals that allows them to be drawn out into a wire
What is ductile?
neither acid nor base; a pH of 7;
What is neutral?
one of the large classifications of elements generally located on the left side of the periodic table – to the left of the zigzag line
What are metals?
A chart of all known elements arranged in rows (periods) by ascending atomic number and columns by family groups
What is the periodic table?
a physical change in state of matter when a gas changes to a solid or a solid changes to a gas
What is sublimation?
a physical property of substances that allows heat or electricity to move easily through them
What is conductivity?
a substance used to determine pH; e.g. litmus paper, pH paper, phenolphthalein
What is an indicator?
composed of two or more different substances that retain their own individual properties; are combined physically
What are mixtures?
the measure of an object’s mass compared to volume; heaviness compared to size/volume
What is density?
a whole number placed in front of a symbol or formula in a chemical equation to show the number of atoms or molecules involved as reactants or products
What is a coefficient?
temperature at which a substance changes from a solid to a liquid; a physical property
What is melting point?
a scientific law which states that mass/matter cannot be created or destroyed; in a chemical reaction, the total mass of the reactants equals the total mass of the products
What is the law of conservation of matter?
another name for a homogeneous mixture; phenol red and water are an example.
What is a solution?