AP Notes, Outlines, Study Guides, Vocabulary, Practice Exams and more!

Campbell Biology: Ninth Edition - Chapter 2: The Chemical Context of Life Flashcards

Terms : Hide Images
308210224matteranything that takes up space and has mass0
308210225elementany substance that cannot be broken down to any other substance by chemical reactions1
308210226compounda substance consisting of two or more different elements combined in a fixed ratio2
308210227essential elementsa chemical element required for an organism to survive, grow, and reproduce3
308210228trace elementsan element indispensable for life but required in extremely minute amounts4
308210229atomthe smallest unit of matter that retains the properties of an element5
308210230neutronsa subatomic particle having no electrical charge (electrically neutral), with a mass of about 1.7 x 10^-24 g, found in the nucleus of an atom6
308210231protonsa subatomic particle with a single positive electrical charge, with a mass of about 1.7 x 10^-24 g, found in the nucleus of an atom7
308210232electronsa subatomic particle with a single negative electrical charge and a mass about 1/2000 that of a neutron or proton. One or more electrons move around the nucleus of an atom8
308210233atomic nucleusan atom's dense central core, containing protons and neutrons9
308210234daltona measure of mass for atoms and subatomic particles; the same as the atomic mass unit, or amu10
308210235atomic numberthe number of protons in the nucleus of an atom, unique for each element and designated by a subscript to the left of the elemental symbol11
308210236mass numberthe sum of the number of protons and neutrons in an atom's nucleus12
308210237atomic massthe total mass of an atom, which is the mass in grams of 1 mole of the atom13
308210238isotopeone of several atomic forms of an element, each with the same number of protons but a different number of neutrons, thus differing in atomic mass14
308210239radioactive isotopean isotope (an atomic from a chemical equation) that is unstable; the nucleus decays spontaneously, giving off detectable particles and energy15
308210240energythe capacity to cause change, especially to do work (to move matter against an opposing force)16
308210241potential energythe energy that matter possesses as a result of its location or spatial arrangement (structure)17
308210242electron shellsan energy level of electrons at a characteristic average distance from the nucleus of an atom18
308210243valence electronsan electron in the outermost electron shell19
308210244valence shellthe outermost energy shell of an atom, containing the valence electrons involved in the chemical reactions of that atom20
308210245orbitalthe three-dimensional space where an electron is found 90% of the time21
308210246chemical bondsan attraction between two atoms, resulting from a sharing of outer-shell electrons or the presence of opposite charges on the atoms. The bonded atoms gain complete outer electron shells22
308210247covalent bonda type of strong chemical bond in which two atoms share one or more pairs of valence electrons23
308210248moleculetwo or more atoms held together by covalent bonds24
308210249single bonda single covalent bond; the sharing of a pair of valence electrons by two atoms25
308210250double bonda double covalent bond; the sharing of two pairs of valence electrons by two atoms26
308210251valencethe bonding capacity of a given atom; usually equals the number of unpaired electrons required to complete the atom's outermost (valence) shell27
308210252electronegativitythe attraction of a given atom for the electrons of a covalent bond28
308210253nonpolar covalent bonda type of covalent bond in which electrons are shared equally between two atoms of similar electronegativity29
308210254polar covalent bonda covalent bond between atoms that differ in electronegativity. the shared electrons are pulled closer to the more electronegative atom, making it slightly negative and the other atom slightly positive30
308210255ionan atom or group of atoms that has gained or lost one or more electrons, thus acquiring a charge31
308210256cationa positively charged ion32
308210257aniona negatively charged ion33
308210258ionic bonda chemical bond resulting from the attraction between oppositely charged ions34
308210259ionic compoundsa compound resulting from the formation of an ionic bond; also called a salt35
308210260hydrogen bonda type of weak chemical bond that is formed when the slightly positive hydrogen atom of a polar covalent bond in one molecule is attracted to the slightly negative atom of a polar covalent bond in another molecule or in another region of the same molecule36
308210261van der Waals interactionsweak attractions between molecules or parts of molecules that result from transient local partial charges37
308210262reactantsa starting material in a chemical reaction38
308210263productsa material resulting from a chemical reaction39
308210264chemical equilibriumin a chemical reaction, the state in which the rate of the forward reaction equals the rate of the reverse reaction, so that the relative concentrations of the reactants and products do not change with time.40

Need Help?

We hope your visit has been a productive one. If you're having any problems, or would like to give some feedback, we'd love to hear from you.

For general help, questions, and suggestions, try our dedicated support forums.

If you need to contact the Course-Notes.Org web experience team, please use our contact form.

Need Notes?

While we strive to provide the most comprehensive notes for as many high school textbooks as possible, there are certainly going to be some that we miss. Drop us a note and let us know which textbooks you need. Be sure to include which edition of the textbook you are using! If we see enough demand, we'll do whatever we can to get those notes up on the site for you!