Gen. Chem. Chapter 1 Test Questions – Flashcards

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Chemistry
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the science that seeks to understand the behavior of matter by studying the behavior of atoms and molecules
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Atoms
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a submicroscopic particle that constitutes the fundamental building block of ordinary matter; the smallest identifiable unit of an element
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Molecules
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two or more atoms joined chemically in a specific geometrical arrangement
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Atomic Theory
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the theory that each element is composed of tiny indestructible particles called atoms, that all atoms of a given element have the same mass and other properties, and that atoms combine in simple, whole-number ratios to form compounds
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Theory
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a proposed explanation for observations and laws based on well-established and tested hypotheses, that presents a model of the way nature works and predicts behavior beyond the observations and laws on which it was based
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Law of Conservation of Mass
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a law stating that matter is neither created nor destroyed in a chemical reaction
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Scientific Law
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a brief statement or equation that summarizes past observations and predicts future ones
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Experiment
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a highly controlled procedure designed to generate observations that may support a hypothesis or prove it wrong
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Hypothesis
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a tentative interpretation or explanation of an observation
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Scientific Method
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an approach to acquiring knowledge about the natural world that begins with observations and leads to the formation of testable hyptheses
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Matter
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anything that occupies space and has mass
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State
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a classification of the form of matter as a solid, liquid or gas
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Solid
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a state of matter in which atoms or molecules are packed close to one another in fixed locations with definite volumes
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Liquid
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a state of matter in which atoms or molecules pack about as close as they do in solid matter but are free to move relative to each other, giving a fixed volume, but not a fixed shape
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Gas
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a state of matter in which atoms or molecules have a great deal of space between them and are free to move relative to one another; lacking a definite shape or volume, a gas conforms to those of its container
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Filtration
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a procedure used to separate a mixture composed of an insoluble solid and a liquid by pouring it through filter paper of some other porous membrane or layer
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Volatile
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tending to vaporize easily
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Distillation
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the process by which mixtures of miscible liquids are separated by heating the mixture to boil off the more volatile liquid. The vaporized component is then recondensed and collected in a separate flask
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Decanting
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a method of separating immiscible liquids by pouring the top layer into another container
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Homogeneous Mixture
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a mixture with the same composition throughout
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Heterogeneous Mixture
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a mixture which the composition varies from one region to another
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Compound
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a substance composed of two or more elements in fixed, definite proportions
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Element
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a substance that cannot be chemically broken down into simple substances
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Mixture
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a substance composed of two or more different types of atoms or molecules that can be combined in variable proportions
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Pure Substances
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a substance composed of only one type of atom or molecule
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Amorphous
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a solid in which atoms or molecules do not have any long-range order
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Crystalline
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a solid in which atoms, molecules or ions are arranged in patterns with long-range, repeating order
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Physical Change
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a change that alters only the state or appearance of a substance but not its chemical composition
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Chemical Change
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a change that alters the molecular composition of a substance
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Chemical Property
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a property that a substance displays only by changing its composition via a chemical change
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Physical Property
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a property that a substance displays without changing its chemical composition
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Dimensional Analysis
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the use of units as a guide to solving problems
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Conversion factor
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a factor used to convert between two different units; a conversion factor can be constructed from any two quantities known to be equivalent
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Systematic Error
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error that tends towards being consistently too high or too low
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Random Error
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error that has equal probability of being too high or too low
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Precision
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a term that refers to how close a series of measurements are to another or how reproducible they are
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Accuracy
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a term that refers to how close a measured value is to the actual value
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Exact Numbers
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numbers that have no uncertainty and thus do not limit the number of significant figures in any calculation
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Significant Figures

(digits)

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in any reported measurement, the non-place-holding digits that indicate the precision of the measured quantity
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Law of Conservation of Energy
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a law stating that energy can neither be created nor destroyed, only converted from one form to another
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Thermal Energy
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a type of kinetic energy associated with the temperature of an object, arising from the motion of individual atoms or molecules in the objects
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Potential Energy
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the energy associated with the position or composition of the object
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Kinetic Energy
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the energy associated with motion of an object
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Work
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result of a force acting through a distance
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Energy
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the capacity to do work
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Units
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standard quantities used to specify measurements
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English System
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the system of units used in the United States and various other countries in which the inch is the unit of length, the pound is the unit of force and the ounce is the unit of mass
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Metric System
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the system of measurements used in most countries in which the meter is the unit of length, the kilogram is the unit of mass and the second is the unit of time
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International System of Units

(SI)

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the standard unit system used by scientists, based on the metric system
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Meter
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the SI standard unit of length, equivalent to 39.37 inches
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Kilgram
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the SI standard unit of mass defined as the mass of a block of metal kept at the International Bureau of Weights & Measure at Sevres, France
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Mass
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a measure of the quantity of matter making up an object
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Second
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the SI standard of time, defined as the duration of 9,192,631,770 periods of the radiation emitted from a certain transition in a cesium-133 atom
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Kelvin
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the SI standard unit of temperature
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Temperature
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a measure of the average kinetic energy of the atoms or molecules that compose a sample of matter
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Fahrenheit Scale
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the temperature scale that is most familiar in the United States, on which pure water freezes at 32 degrees F and boils at 212 degrees F
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Celsius Scale
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the temperature scale most used by scientists, on which pure water freezes at 0 degrees C and boils at 100 degrees C (at atmospheric pressure)
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Kelvin Scale
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the temperature scale that assigns O K (-273 degrees C or -459 degrees F) to the coldest temperature possible, absolute zero, the temperature at which molecular motion virtually stops 1 K =1 degree C
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Prefix Multipliers
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multipliers that change the value of the unit by powers of 10
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Derived Unit
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a unit that is a combination of other base units. For example, the SI unit for speed is meters per second (mps) a derived unit
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Volume
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a measure of space. any unit of length when cubed becomes a unit of volume
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Milliliter
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a unit of volume equal to 10-3 

L or 1 cm3

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Liter
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a unit of volume equal to 1,000 cm3

or 1.057 qt.

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Density 
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the ratio of an objects mass to its volume
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Extensive Property
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a property that depends on the amount of a given substance, such as mass
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Intensive Property
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a property such as density that is independent of the amount of a given substance
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