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Chemistry LibreTexts

6.4: Key Terms

  • Page ID
    485443
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    Example and Directions
    Words (or words that have the same definition)The definition is case sensitive(Optional) Image to display with the definition [Not displayed in Glossary, only in pop-up on pages](Optional) Caption for Image(Optional) External or Internal Link(Optional) Source for Definition
    (Eg. "Genetic, Hereditary, DNA ...")(Eg. "Relating to genes or heredity")The infamous double helix https://bio.libretexts.org/CC-BY-SA; Delmar Larsen
    Glossary Entries
    Word(s)DefinitionImageCaptionLinkSource
    acidsubstance that produces H3O+ when dissolved in water    
    acid-base reactionreaction involving the transfer of a hydrogen ion between reactant species    
    actual yieldamount of product formed in a reaction    
    analytechemical species of interest    
    balanced equationchemical equation with equal numbers of atoms for each element in the reactant and product    
    basesubstance that produces OH when dissolved in water    
    buretdevice used for the precise delivery of variable liquid volumes, such as in a titration analysis    
    chemical equationsymbolic representation of a chemical reaction    
    coefficientnumber placed in front of symbols or formulas in a chemical equation to indicate their relative amount    
    combustion analysisgravimetric technique used to determine the elemental composition of a compound via the collection and weighing of its gaseous combustion products    
    combustion reactionvigorous redox reaction producing significant amounts of energy in the form of heat and, sometimes, light    
    complete ionic equationchemical equation in which all dissolved ionic reactants and products, including spectator ions, are explicitly represented by formulas for their dissociated ions    
    end pointmeasured volume of titrant solution that yields the change in sample solution appearance or other property expected for stoichiometric equivalence (see equivalence point)    
    equivalence pointvolume of titrant solution required to react completely with the analyte in a titration analysis; provides a stoichiometric amount of titrant for the sample’s analyte according to the titration reaction    
    excess reactantreactant present in an amount greater than required by the reaction stoichiometry    
    gravimetric analysisquantitative chemical analysis method involving the separation of an analyte from a sample by a physical or chemical process and subsequent mass measurements of the analyte, reaction product, and/or sample    
    half-reactionan equation that shows whether each reactant loses or gains electrons in a reaction.    
    indicatorsubstance added to the sample in a titration analysis to permit visual detection of the end point    
    insolubleof relatively low solubility; dissolving only to a slight extent    
    limiting reactantreactant present in an amount lower than required by the reaction stoichiometry, thus limiting the amount of product generated    
    molecular equationchemical equation in which all reactants and products are represented as neutral substances    
    net ionic equationchemical equation in which only those dissolved ionic reactants and products that undergo a chemical or physical change are represented (excludes spectator ions)    
    neutralization reactionreaction between an acid and a base to produce salt and water    
    oxidationprocess in which an element’s oxidation number is increased by loss of electrons    
    oxidation number(also, oxidation state) the charge each atom of an element would have in a compound if the compound were ionic    
    oxidation-reduction reaction(also, redox reaction) reaction involving a change in oxidation number for one or more reactant elements    
    oxidizing agent(also, oxidant) substance that brings about the oxidation of another substance, and in the process becomes reduced    
    percent yieldmeasure of the efficiency of a reaction, expressed as a percentage of the theoretical yield    
    precipitateinsoluble product that forms from reaction of soluble reactants    
    precipitation reactionreaction that produces one or more insoluble products; when reactants are ionic compounds, sometimes called double-displacement or metathesis    
    productsubstance formed by a chemical or physical change; shown on the right side of the arrow in a chemical equation    
    quantitative analysisthe determination of the amount or concentration of a substance in a sample    
    reactantsubstance undergoing a chemical or physical change; shown on the left side of the arrow in a chemical equation    
    reducing agent(also, reductant) substance that brings about the reduction of another substance, and in the process becomes oxidized    
    reductionprocess in which an element’s oxidation number is decreased by gain of electrons    
    saltionic compound that can be formed by the reaction of an acid with a base that contains a cation and an anion other than hydroxide or oxide    
    single-displacement reaction(also, replacement) redox reaction involving the oxidation of an elemental substance by an ionic species    
    solubilitythe extent to which a substance may be dissolved in water, or any solvent    
    solubleof relatively high solubility; dissolving to a relatively large extent    
    spectator ionion that does not undergo a chemical or physical change during a reaction, but its presence is required to maintain charge neutrality    
    stoichiometric factorratio of coefficients in a balanced chemical equation, used in computations relating amounts of reactants and products    
    stoichiometryrelationships between the amounts of reactants and products of a chemical reaction    
    strong acidacid that reacts completely when dissolved in water to yield hydronium ions    
    strong basebase that reacts completely when dissolved in water to yield hydroxide ions    
    theoretical yieldamount of product that may be produced from a given amount of reactant(s) according to the reaction stoichiometry    
    titrantsolution containing a known concentration of substance that will react with the analyte in a titration analysis    
    titration analysisquantitative chemical analysis method that involves measuring the volume of a reactant solution required to completely react with the analyte in a sample    
    weak acidacid that reacts only to a slight extent when dissolved in water to yield hydronium ions    
    weak basebase that reacts only to a slight extent when dissolved in water to yield hydroxide ions    

    6.4: Key Terms is shared under a CC BY 4.0 license and was authored, remixed, and/or curated by LibreTexts.

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