Intro to Earth Science
What do we study in astronomy?
Celestial objects, space, and the physical universe as a whole.
What is a element?
Pure substance that cannot be broken down into any other substance.
What are atoms?
The smallest part of a substance that cannot be broken down chemically.
What is a valence electron?
Electrons that are located in the outermost electron shell of an atom.
Define Ionic bond
Electrostatic attraction between two atoms where one atom transfers an electron to another atom.
It allows us to predict the weather and create early warning systems for deadly storms such as tornados.
How is the periodic table organized?
An organized array of all the chemical elements in order of increasing atomic number.
Where are the protons, neutrons, and electrons located within the atom?
Protons and neutrons are found within the nucleolus while the electrons form "rings" around the nucleolus.
The tendency of atoms to prefer to have eight electrons in the valence shell.
Define Covalent bond and Metallic Bond
Covalent bond - A chemical bond formed when electrons are shared between two atoms (valence electrons).
Metallic Bond - metal atoms achieve a more stable configuration by sharing the electrons in its outer shell with many other metal atoms.
What is a hypothesis?
Idea that proposes an explanation for an observed phenomenon (fact or situation) or narrow set of phenomena.
What is the atomic number?
The number of protons in the nucleus of an atom.
Define what an electron is.
Electron - a subatomic particle with a negative charge that balances the positive charge of the protons in the atomic nucleus.
What happens to an atom if its outer electron shell isn't considered "stable" ?
Form chemical bonds with other atoms to achieve stability.
With which type of elements does ionic bonding occur?
Metal and nonmetals.
What is a control group?
Group that is separated from the rest of the experiment, where the independent variable being tested cannot influence the results
What are the three subatomic particles within the atom?
Protons
Neutrons
Electrons
Define both proton and neutron.
Proton - a subatomic particle with a positive electrical charge (found in every atomic nucleus of every element).
Neutron - a subatomic particle with a similar mass to a proton without an electric charge (found in every atomic nucleus except hydrogen).
How are Ions formed?
Atoms lose or gain electrons in order to fulfill the octet rule and have a full outer valence electron shell.
Which type of elements do covalent bonds usually occur? Give an example of a covalent bond.
Nonmetals
Example H2O - two hydrogen atoms are covalently bonded with one oxygen atom to form water.
What are the six steps of the scientific method?
Make an observation.
Ask a question.
Form a hypothesis, or testable explanation.
Make a prediction based on the hypothesis.
Test the prediction via Experiment.
Iterate: use the results to make new hypotheses or predictions.
What three main categories can all elements be classified into and their corresponding definitions?
Metal - substances characterized by high electrical and thermal conductivity as well as by malleability, ductility, and high reflectivity of light.
Nonmetal - an element that does not display the properties of a metal.
Metalloid - an element having properties intermediate between those of a typical metal and a typical nonmetal.
Why are electrons important in chemical and physical bonds of elements?
Electrons participate in the formation of chemical bonds, determining the chemical properties of elements and compounds.
When an atom loses electrons, they become positively charged and are called cations.
When an atom gain electrons, they are negatively charged and are named anions.
What characteristics do metallic bonds provide for various metals?
Malleable - hammered into thin sheets (easily shaped or formed)
Ductile - metals can be drawn into thin wires and still maintain their integrity.
Conductivity - electrons can move freely between the atoms and allows a current to flow