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Chapter 2 Vocab
Chemistry in Life
| Term | Definition |
|---|---|
| atom | the smallest basic unit of matter |
| element | one particular type of atom; it cannot be broken down into a simpler substance by ordinary chemical means |
| compound | a substance made of atoms of different elements bonded together in a certain ratio |
| ion | an atom that has gained or lost one or more electrons |
| ionic bond | forms through the electrical force between oppositely charged ions |
| covalent bond | forms when atoms share a pair of electrons |
| molecule | two or more atoms held together by covalent bonds |
| hydrogen bond | an attraction between a slightly positive atom and a slightly negative atom. often oxygen and nitrogen |
| cohesion | the attraction among molecules of a substance |
| adhesion | the attraction among molecules of different substances |
| solution | a mixture of substances that is the same throughout- it is a homogeneous mixture |
| solvent | the substance that is present in the greater amount and that dissolves another substance |
| solute | the substance that dissolves in a solvent |
| acid | a compound that releases a proton |
| bases | compounds that removes the H* ions from a solution |
| pH | a solution's acidity, or H* ion concentration, is measured by this scale |
| monomer | each subunit in the complete molecule |
| polymer | a large molecule, or macromolecule |
| carbohydrates | molecules composed of carbon, hydrogen, oxygen, and they include sugars and starches |
| lipids | nonpolar molecules that include fats, oils and cholesterol |
| fatty acids | chains of carbon atoms bonded to hydrogen atoms |
| protein | a polymer made of monomers called amino acids |
| amino acids | molecules that contain carbon, hydrogen, oxygen, nitrogen, and sometimes sulfur |
| nucleic acids | polymers that are made up of monomers called nucleotides |
| chemical reaction | change substances into different substances by breaking and forming chemical bonds |
| reactants | the substances changed during a chemical reaction |
| products | the substances made by a chemical reaction |
| bond energy | the amount of energy that will break a bond between two atoms |
| equilibrium | is reached when both the reactants and products are made at the same rate |
| activation energy | the amount of energy that needs to be absorbed for a chemical reaction to start |
| exothermic | a chemical reaction that releases more energy than it absorbs |
| endothermic | a chemical reaction that absorbs more energy than it releases |
| catalyst | a substance that decreases activation energy needed to start a chemical reaction and, as a result, also increases the rate of a chemical reaction |
| enzymes | catalysts for chemical reactions in living things |
| substrates | the specific reactants that an enzyme acts on |