Term | Definition |
Pure substances | Substances that have the same composition throughout, may be elements, molecules, solutions |
Elements | A substance that cannot be broken down into other substances by chemical or physical means |
Molecules | Particals containing two or more atoms that are chemically combined |
Solutions | A mixture in which one or more kinds of matter are mixed evenly in another kind of matter |
Mixtures | Two or more substances that are mixed together but not chemically combined |
Particles | What matter is made up of, can be atoms, molecules and compounds |
Matter | Something that has mass which can exist in the form of solid, liquid, gas or plasma |
Property | A characteristic of matter that can be observed or measured |
Intensive property | Property that does depend on the amount of matter present |
Color | Differing qualities of light being reflected or emitted by objects |
Density | The measurement of how much mass of a substance is contained in a given volume |
Melting point | Temperature at which a substance changes from a solid to a liquid |
Boiling point | Temperature at which a liquid changes to a gas |
Solubility | A measure of how well a solute can be dissolved n a solvent at a given temperature |
Malleability | The ability of a substance to be hammered into thin sheets |
Extensive property | Property that does not depend on he amount of matter present |
Mass | Amount of matter present |
Volume | A measure of how much space the matter of an object takes up |
Physical change | Involves a change in physical properties but not in chemical properties, physical properties can be observed without changing the composition of matter, examples of them include texture, shape, size, color, volume, mass, and weight |
Chemical change | Connections between atoms are broken and new connections are made with different atoms resulting in new substances which possess different properties than the original substances |
Chemical reaction | Interactions between sunstences (elements or compounds) in which there is a change in the chemical composition of the sunstences involved |
Conservation of matter | The mass of a closed system cannot be changed as a resolute of processes acting inside the system |
Closed system | This describes a system that may exchange energy with its surrounding but not matter |
Open system | This describes a system that may exchange energy with its surrounds but not matter |
Open system | In contrast with a closed system this system is free to exchange energy and matter with its surroundings it will not obey conservation principles |
Particle model | A scientific model used to explain the composition and behavior of matter it is used to explain the differences between solids, liquids, and gases |
Acid | An acid in common usage is a substance that tastes sour, reacts with metal and carbohydrates, turns blue litmus paper red, and has a pH less than 7.0 in its standard state |
pH | A cpscale from 0-14 used to measure the acidity of an aqueous solution less than 7 is acidic grater than 7 is basic and equal to 7 is neutral |
Base | A substance that is water soluble bitter tasting and has a pH greater than 7 |
P wave | Or compressional wave is a seismic body wave that shakes the ground back and forth in the same direction and the opposite direction as the direction the wave is moving |
S wave | Or shear wave is a seismic body wave that shakes the ground back and forth perpendicular to the direction the wave is moving |
Surface wave | A seismic wave trapped near the surface of the earth |
Wavelength | The distance between successive points of equal amplitude and phase of a wave |
Frequency | The frequency is the number of times something happens in a
certain period of time such as the ground shaking up and down or back
and forth during an earthquake |
Amplitude | The amplitude is the size of the wiggles on an earthquake
recording |
Period | The period is the time interval required for one full cycle of a wave |
Seismic wave | A seismic wave is an elastic wave generated by an impulse such as an earthquake or an explosion Seismic waves may travel either
along or near the earth's surface Rayleigh and Love waves or through
the earth's interior P and S waves |
Seismogram | written recording of the earth's vibrations, produced by a
seismograph |
Epicenter | The epicenter is the point on the earth's surface vertically above
the hypocenter or focus point in the crust where a seismic rupture
begins |
Medium | Matter that the wave travels through. It may be solid liquid or gas |
Tsunami | A tsunami is a sea wave of local or distant origin that results from
large scale seafloor displacements associated with large earthquakes,
major submarine slides or exploding volcanic islands |
Tidal wave | is a large movement of water formed by the funnelling of the
incoming tide into a river or narrow bay |