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Chemistry LibreTexts

Glossary

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    294266
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    Glossary Entries

    Word(s)

    Definition

    Image Caption Link Source
    Alkali metal A metal in Group 1 of the periodic table        
    Alkaline earth metal A metal in Group 2 of the periodic table        
    Amino acid A biomolecule consisting of an amino group (amine) and a carboxylic acid. The building block of proteins.        
    Anion A negative ion        
    Aqueous Dissolved in water        
    Atom The smallest particle of an element that retains the properties of the element        
    Atomic mass The average mass of all isotopes of an element. Note: The atomic mass is usually listed on the periodic table.         
    Atomic number The number of protons in an atom. Note: The atomic number is usually listed on the periodic table.         
    Cation A positive ion        
    Coefficient (in chemistry) A number written before a chemical formula to indicate the number of copies needed to balance a chemical equation.         
    Chemical change A change in which the identity of the substance changes due to chemical bonds breaking and/or forming. Also called a chemical reaction.         
    Chemical equation A written description of a chemical reaction using symbols and formulas.         
    Chemical formula A description of a compound using chemical symbols and subscripts        
    Compound A pure substance composed of two or more elements bonded together in a fixed ratio.         
    Covalent bond An attraction between atoms due to the sharing of valence electrons.         
    Electron A small, negatively charged particle found around the nucleus of an atom.         
    Element A substance made of only one type of atom. Note: Elements are listed on the periodic table.         
    Fatty acid A biomolecule consisting of a carboxylic acid functional group with a long (~10 - 20 C atom) chain.         
    Formula unit The lowest ratio of elements in an ionic compound.         
    Halogen A nonmetal in Group 17 of the periodic table        
    Heterogeneous mixture A mixture in which different components are visible, e.g. in chunks or layers        
    Homogeneous mixture A mixture in which different components are not visible. The mixture looks the same throughout. Also called a solution.        
    Inorganic compound A compound that does not contain any C-H bonds.        
    Ion A charged particle        
    Ionic compound A compound formed by the attraction between cations and anions (ionic bond).         
    Inner transition metal Metals found in the two rows at the bottom of the periodic table. Also called lanthanides (top row) and actinides (bottom row)        
    Isotope A form of an element with a specific number of neutrons.         
    Law Something that has been observed over and over again in experiments. Helpful in making predictions.         
    Mass number The total number of protons and neutrons in a particular isotope of an element. Note: The mass number is NOT listed on the periodic table.         
    Matter Anything that has mass and takes up space        
    Molecular compound A compound consisting of molecules in which the atoms are held together by covalent bonds.         
    Molecule Two or more atoms covalently bonded together.        
    Monomer A small molecule that bonds to other small molecules to make a polymer.        
    Monosaccharide The building block (monomer) of carbohydrates.         
    Neutron An uncharged particle found in the nucleus of an atom.         
    Noble gas A nonmetal in Group 18 of the periodic table        
    Nucleic acid A type of biomolecule that stores and processes genetic information. RNA and DNA are nucleic acids.         
    Nucleobase The bases in nucleic acids. Their structure consists of 1 - 2 rings with several nitrogen atoms.         
    Nucleoside A component of nucleic acids. Consists of a nucleobase bonded to a monosaccharide.        
    Nucleotide The building block of nucleic acids. Consists of a nucleobase bonded to a monosaccharide bonded to a phosphate group.         
    Octet rule Atoms tend to gain, lose, or share valence electrons in order to get to a total of eight valence electrons.         
    Organic compound A compound containing carbon and hydrogen bonded together. It may also contain other elements.        
    Periodic table A list of all known elements        
    Peptide A biomolecule consisting of several amino acids (~2 - 100), but shorter than a protein        
    Phospholipid A biomolecule with a polar head and two long nonpolar tails.         
    Physical change A change in which the identity of the substance stays constant, i.e. it can still be represented by the same symbol or formula after the change.         
    Polymer A large molecule with a repeating structure. May be natural, e.g. protein and DNA, or synthetic, e.g. plastics.         
    Precipitate A solid that forms from solutions.        
    Precipitation reaction A reaction between two aqueous solutions that results in the formation of a precipitate        
    Product The result of a chemical reaction. Written after the arrow in a chemical equation.         
    Proton A positively charged particle in the nucleus of an atom.         
    Reactant A substance present before a chemical reaction occurs. Written before the arrow in a chemical equation.         
    Solution A homogeneous mixture.         
    Subscript (in chemistry) A number written lower than the normal text indicating the number of copies of an atom or ion in a molecule or formula unit.         
    Theory An explanation developed after a lot of experimentation.        
    Transition metal A metal located in Groups 3 - 12 of the periodic table        
    Triacylglycerol A biomolecule formed from glycerol and three fatty acids. Also known as a triglyceride.        
    Valence electron An electron in the outermost shell (layer) of an atom        
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