Term | Definition |
accuracy | how close a measured value is to an accepted value |
buoyancy | the ability to float or tendency to float in water or other liquid |
colloid | a heterogeneous mixture composed of tiny particles suspended in another material |
dimensional analysis | a systematic approach to problem solving that uses conversion factors to move from one unit to another |
extensive property | a physical property, such as mass, length, and volume, that is dependent upon the amount of substance present |
heterogeneous mixture | one that does not have a uniform composition and in which the individual substances remain distinct (IE chicken noodle soup) |
homogeneous mixture | one that has a uniform composition throughout and always has a single phase; also called a solution |
intensive property | a physical property that remains the same no matter how much of a substance is present |
physical property | a characteristic that can be observed or measured without changing the sample’s composition |
precision | how close a series of measurements are to one another |
scientific notation | a system for reporting very small or very large numbers by writing the number as a decimal number between 1 and 10, multiplied by a power of 10 |
Significant figures | a convention for recording measurements. Measurements are rounded so that they contain only the digits up to and including the first uncertain digit, when the number is written in scientific notation. |
suspension | type of heterogeneous mixture whose particles settle out over time and can be separated from the mixture by filtration |
Tyndall effect | the scattering of light by colloidal particles |
Viscosity | a measure to fluids resistance to flow |
compressibility | The ability to be compressed. A characteristic of substances, such as gases, that can be compressed to fit into smaller containers. |