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What is matter?
| Term | Definition |
|---|---|
| Chemistry | the scientific study of the composition, structure, and properties of matter and the changes that matter undergoes |
| Matter | anything that has mass and takes up space |
| Element | a substance that cannot be separated or broken down into simpler substances by chemical means; all atoms of an element have the same atomic number |
| Atom | the smallest unit of an element that maintains the chemical properties of that element |
| Molecule | a group of atoms that are held together by chemical forces; a molecule is the smallest unit of matter that can exist by itself and retain all of a substance's chemical properties |
| Compound | a substance made up of atoms of two or more different elements joined by chemical bonds |
| Chemical formula | a combination of chemical symbols and numbers to represent a substance |
| Pure substance | a sample of matter, either a single element or a single compound, that has definite chemical and physical properties |
| Mixture | a combination of two or more substances that are not chemically combined |
| Physical change | a change of matter from one form to another without a change in chemical properties |
| Chemical change | a change that occurs when one or more substances change into entirely new substances with different properties |
| Melting point | the temperature and pressure at which a solid becomes a liquid |
| Boiling point | the temperature and pressure at which a liquid and a gas are in equilibrium |
| Density | the ratio of the mass of a substance to the volume of the substance; commonly expressed as grams per cubic centimeter for solids and liquids and as grams per liter for gases |
| Reactivity | the capacity of a substance to combine chemically with another substance |
| Flammability | having the ability to burn in the presence of oxygen |