Term | Definition |
atom | the smallest particle of an element that
still retains the properties of the
element. |
boiling point | the temperature at which the pressure of
the vapor in the liquid is equal to the
external pressure acting on the surface
of the liquid. |
chemical property | any characteristic of a substance, such
as flammability, that indicates whether
it can undergo a certain chemical change. |
chemical reaction/chemical change | process in which one or more substances
are changed into new substances. |
physical property | any characteristic of a material, such as
size or shape, that you can observe or
attempt to observe without changing the
identity of the material. |
physical change | any change in size, shape, or state of
matter in which the identity of the
substance remains the same. |
solid | Has a stable, definite shape
•Has a definite volume
•Particles are packed closely together
•Cannot move freely, can only vibrate
•Energy and temperature are very low
•Can only change their shape by force |
liquid | •Does not have a definite shape
•Shape is determined by the container in which it is held
•Volume is definite
•Particles are farther apart than in solids, and can slide past each other easily |
gas | •Has an indefinite, unstable shape
•Volume is determined by the container that is closely sealed
•Particles are far apart from each other, and can move around quickly
•Energy and temperature are the higher than those of both solids and liquids |
plasma | •Hotter than gas
• occurs when the temperature is between 1000 degrees C and 1,000,000,000 degrees C
•Charged particles, usually in equal numbers, such as ions and electron |
sublimation | the process of a solid changing directly
to a vapor without forming a liquid. |
vaporization | transition from the liquid phase to vapor |
condensation | process in which water vapor changes to a
liquid. |
evaporation | process that takes place when a liquid
changes to a gas. |