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AP Biology
Chapter 2-The Chemical Context of Life
Question | Answer |
---|---|
matter | Anything that takes up space and has mass. |
element | Any substance that cannot be broken down to any other substance |
compound | A substance consisting of two or more elements in a fixed ratio. |
trace element | An element indispensable for life but required in extremely minute amounts. |
atom | The smallest unit of matter that retains the properties of an element. |
neutron | An electrically neutral particle (a particle having no electrical charge), found in the |
proton | A subatomic particle with a single positive electrical charge, found in the nucleus of an atom. |
electron | A subatomic particle with a single negative charge. One or more electrons move around the nucleus of an atom. |
atomic nucleus | An atom′s central core, containing protons and neutrons |
Dalton | A measure of mass for atoms and subatomic particles. |
atomic number | The number of protons in the nucleus of an atom, unique for each element and designated by a subscript to the left of the elemental symbol. |
mass number | The sum of the number of protons and neutrons in an atom′s nucleus. |
atomic mass | The total mass of an atom, which is the mass in grams of one mole of the atom. |
isotope | One of several atomic forms of an element, each containing a different number of neutrons and thus differing in atomic mass. |
radioactive isotope | An isotope (an atomic form of a chemical element) that is unstable; the nucleus decays spontaneously, giving off detectable particles and energy. |
energy | The capacity to do work (to move matter against an opposing force). |
potential energy | The energy stored by matter as a result of its location or spatial arrangement. |
energy level | Any of several different states of potential energy for electrons in an atom. |
electron shell | An energy level represented as the distance of an electron from the nucleus of an atom |
valence electron | An electron in the outermost electron shell |
valence shell | The outermost energy shell of an atom, containing the valence electrons involved in the chemical reactions of that atom. |
orbital | The three–dimensional space where an electron is found 90% of the time. |
chemical bond | An attraction between two atoms, resulting from a sharing of outer–shell electrons or the presence of opposite charges on the atoms. The bonded atoms gain complete outer electron shells. |
covalent bond | A type of strong chemical bond in which two atoms share one or more pairs of valence electrons. |
molecule | Two or more atoms held together by covalent bonds. |
structural formula | A type of molecular notation in which the constituent atoms are joined by lines representing covalent bonds. |
molecular formula | A type of molecular notation indicating only the quantity of the constituent atoms. |
valence | The bonding capacity of an atom, generally equal to the number of unpaired electrons in the atom′s outermost shell. |
electronegativity | The attraction of an atom for the electrons of a covalent bond. |
nonpolar covalent bond | A type of covalent bond in which electrons are shared equally between two atoms of similar electronegativity. |
polar covalent bond | A covalent bond between atoms that differ in electronegativity. The shared electrons are pulled closer to the more electronegative atom, making it slightly negative and the other atom slightly positive. |
ion | ) An atom that has gained or lost electrons, thus acquiring a charge |
Anion | A negatively charged ion. |
ionic bond | A chemical bond resulting from the attraction between oppositely charged ions. |
ionic compound | A compound resulting from the formation of an ionic bond; also called a salt. |
salt | A compound resulting from the formation of an ionic bond; also called an ionic compound. |
hydrogen bond | A type of weak chemical bond formed when the slightly positive hydrogen atom of a polar covalent bond in one molecule is attracted to the slightly negative atom of a polar covalent bond in another molecule. |
van der Waals interactions | Weak attractions between molecules or parts of molecules that are brought about by localized charge fluctuations. |
chemical reaction | A process leading to chemical changes in matter; involves the making and/or breaking of chemical bonds. |
reactant | A starting material in a chemical reaction |
product | An ending material in a chemical reaction |
chemical equilibrium | In a reversible chemical reaction, the point at which the rate of the forward reaction equals the rate of the reverse reaction. |