User:វ័ណថារិទ្ធ/sandbox/Glossary of Chemistry terms

This page is a glossary of chemistry terms. Chemistry has an extensive vocabulary and a significant amount of jargon. This is a list of chemical terms, including laboratory tools, glassware, and equipment. Chemistry itself is a physical science concerned with the composition, structure, and properties of matter, as well as the changes it undergoes during chemical reactions.

Note: All periodic table references refer to the IUPAC Style of the Periodic Table

A

An atom, with protons, neutrons, and electrons labelled.

absolute zero - a theoretical condition concerning a system at zero Kelvin where a system does not emit or absorb energy (all atoms are at rest)
accuracy - how close a value is to the actual or true value; also see precision
acid - a compound that, when dissolved in water, gives a pH of less than 7.0 or a compound that donates a hydrogen ion
acid anhydride - a compound with two acyl groups bound to a single oxygen atom
acid dissociation constant - an equilibrium constant for the dissociation of a weak acid
actinides - the fifteen chemical elements that are between actinium (89) and lawrencium (103)
activated complex - a structure that forms because of a collision between molecules while new bonds are formed
activation energy
activity series
actual yield
addition reaction - within organic chemistry, when two or more molecules combine to make a larger one
aeration - the mixing of air into a liquid or solid
alkali metals - the metals of Group 1 on the periodic table
alkaline earth metals - the metals of Group 2 on the periodic table
allomer - a substance that has different composition than another, but has the same crystalline structure
allotropy - elements that can have different structures (and therefore different forms), such as Carbon (diamonds, graphite, and fullerene)
anion - negatively charge ions
anode
aromaticity - chemical property of conjugated rings that results in unusual stability. See also benzene.
atom - a chemical element in its smallest form, and is made up of neutrons and protons within the nucleus and electrons circling the nucleus
atomic mass unit
atomic number - the number representing an element which corresponds with the number of protons within the nucleus
atomic orbital - the region where the electron of the atom may be found
atomic radius
average atomic mass
Avogadro's law
Avogadro's number

B

barometer -
base - a substance that accepts a proton and has a high pH; a common example is sodium hydroxide (NaOH)
biochemistry - the chemistry of organisms
boiling - the phase transition of liquid vaporizing
boiling point -
boiling-point elevation -
bond - the attraction and repulsion between atoms and molecules that is a cornerstone of chemistry
Boyle's law -
Brønsted-Lowrey acid -
Brønsted–Lowry acid–base reaction -
Brønsted-Lowrey base -
buffered solution -
burette (also buret) - glassware used to dispense specific amounts of liquid when precision is necessary (e.g. titration and resource dependent reactions)

C

catalyst - a chemical compound used to change the rate (either to speed up or slow down) of a reaction, but is regenerated at the end of the reaction.
cation - positively charged ion
centrifuge - equipment used to separate substances based on density by rotating the tubes around a centred axis
cell potential - the force in a galvanic cell that pulls electron through reducing agent to oxidizing agent
chemical Law - certain rules that pertain to the laws of nature and chemistry - examples
chemical reaction - the change of one or more substances into another or multiple substances
colloid - mixture of evenly dispersed substances, such as many milks
combustion - an exothermic reaction between an oxidant and fuel with heat and often light
compound - a substance that is made up of two or more chemically bonded elements
condensation - the phase change from gas to liquid
conductor - material that allows electric flow more freely
covalent bond - chemical bond that involves sharing electrons
crystal - a solid that is packed with ions, molecules or atoms in an orderly fashion
cuvette - glassware used in spectroscopic experiments. It is usually made of plastic, glass or quartz and should be as clean and clear as possible

D

deionization - the removal of ions, and in water's case mineral ions such as sodium, iron and calcium
deliquescence - substances that absorb water from the atmosphere to form liquid solutions
deposition - settling of particles within a solution or mixture
dipole - electric or magnetic separation of charge
dipole moment - the polarity of a polar covalent bond
dissolution or solvation - the spread of ions in a solvent
double bond - sharing of two pairs of electrons

E

earth metal - see alkaline earth metal
electrolyte - a solution that conducts a certain amount of current and can be split categorically as weak and strong electrlytes
electrochemical cell - using a chemical reaction's current, electromotive force is made
electromagnetic radiation - a type of wave that can go through vacuums as well as material and classified as a self-propagating wave
electromagnetism - fields that have electric charge and electric properties that change the way that particles move and interact
electromotive force - a device that gains energy as electric charges pass through it
electron - a subatomic particle with a net charge that is negative
electron shells - an orbital around the atom's nucleus that has a fixed number electrons (usually two or eight)
electric charge - a measured property (coulombs) that determine electromagnetic interaction
element - an atom that is defined by its atomic number
energy - A system's ability to do work
enthalpy - measure of the total energy of a thermodynamic system (usually symbolized as H)
entropy - the amount of energy not available for work in a closed thermodynamic system (usually symbolized as S)
enzyme - a protein that speeds up (catalyses) a reaction
eppendorf tube - generalized and trademarked term used for a type of tube; see microcentrifuge

F

freezing - phase transition from liquid to solid
Faraday constant - a unit of electrical charge widely used in electrochemistry and equal to ~ 96,500 coulombs.

It represents 1 mol of electrons, or the Avogadro number of electrons: 6.022 × 10²³ electrons. F = 96 485.339 9(24) C/mol

Faraday's law of electrolysis - a two part law that Michael Faraday published about electrolysis
- the mass of a substance altered at an electrode during electrolysis is directly proportional to the quantity of electricity transferred at that electrode
- the mass of an elemental material altered at an electrode is directly proportional to the element's equivalent weight.
frequency - number of cycles per unit of time. Unit: 1 hertz = 1 cycle per 1 second

G

galvanic cell - battery made up of electrochemical with two different metals connected by salt bridge
gas - particles that fill their container though have no definite shape or volume
geochemistry - the chemistry of and chemical composition of the Earth
Gibbs energy - value that indicates the spontaneity of a reaction (usually symbolized as G)

H

halogens - Group 17 on the Periodic Table and are all non-metals

J

jodium – Latin name of the halogen element iodine

I

indicator - a special compound added to solution that changes color depending on the acidity of the solution; different indicators have different colors and effective pH ranges
inorganic compound - compounds that do not contain carbon, though there are exceptions (see main article)
inorganic chemistry - a part of chemistry concerned with inorganic compounds
International Union of Pure and Applied Chemistry (IUPAC) -
insulator - material that resists the flow of electric current
ion - a molecule that has gained or lost one or more electrons
ionic bond - electrostatic attraction between oppositely charged ions
ionization -The breaking up of a compound into separate ions.

K

Kinetics - A sub-field of chemistry specializing in reaction rates
Kinetic energy - The energy of an object due to its motion.

L

lanthanides - Elements 57 through 71
lattice - Unique arrangement of atoms or molecules in a crystalline liquid or solid.
Laws of thermodynamics
liquid - A state of matter which takes the shape of its container
light - Portion of the electromagnetic spectrum which is visible to the naked eye. Also called "visible light."
London dispersion forces - A weak intermolecular force

M

Metal - Chemical element that is a good conductor of both electricity and heat and forms cations and ionic bonds with non-metals.
melting - The phase change from a solid to a liquid
metalloid - A substance possessing both the properties of metals and non-metals
methylene blue - a heterocyclic aromatic chemical compound with the molecular formula C₁₆H₁₈N₃S Cl
microcentrifuge - a small plastic container that is used to store small amounts of liquid
mole - abbreviated mol - a measurement of an amount of substance; a single mole contains approximately 6.022×10²³ units or entities
- a mole of water contains 6.022×10²³ H₂O molecules
molecule - a chemically bonded number of atoms that are electrically neutral
molecular orbital - region where an electron can be found in a molecule (as opposed to an atom)

N

neutron - a neutral unit or subatomic particle that has no net charge
neutrino - a particle that can travel at speeds close to the speed of light and are created as a result of radioactive decay
nucleus - the centre of an atom made up of neutrons and protons, with a net positive charge
noble gases - group 18 elements, those whose outer electron shell is filled
non-metal - an element which is not metallic
nuclear - of or pertaining to the atomic nucleus
nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy - technique that exploits the magnetic properties of certain nuclei, useful for identifying unknown compounds
number density – a measure of concentration of countable objects (atoms, molecules, etc.) in space; number per volume

O

orbital - may refer to either an atomic orbital or a molecular orbital
organic compound - compounds that contain carbon
organic chemistry - a part of chemistry concerned with organic compounds

P

pH - the measure of acidity (or basicity) of a solution
plasma - state of matter similar to gas in which a certain portion of the particles are ionized
poor metal - Metallic elements in the p-block, characterized by lower melting and boiling points than other metals
potential energy - energy stored in a body or in a system due to its position in a force field or due to its configuration
precipitate - formation of a solid in a solution or inside another solid during a chemical reaction or by diffusion in a solid
precision - How close the results of multiple experimental trials are. See also accuracy.
photon - a carrier of electromagnetic radiation of all wavelength (such as gamma rays and radio waves)
proton - a positive unit or subatomic particle that has a positive charge
protonation - the addition of a proton (H⁺) to an atom, molecule, or ion

Q

Quantum mechanics - the study of how atoms, molecules, subatomic particles, etc. behave and are structured
quarks - elementary particle and a fundamental constituent of matter

R

radiation - energy in the form of waves or subatomic particles when there is a change from high energy to low energy states
radioactive decay - the process of an unstable atomic nucleus losing energy by emitting radiation
Raoult's law -
reactivity series -
reagent -

S

s-block elements - Group 1 and 2 elements (alkali and alkaline metals), which includes Hydrogen and Helium
salts - ionic compounds composed of anions and cations
salt bridge - devices used to connection reduction with oxidation half-cells in an electrochemical cell
saline solution - general term for NaCl in water
Schrödinger equation - quantum state equation which represents the behaviour of an election around an atom
semiconductor - an electrically conductive solid that is between a conductor and an insulator
single bond - sharing of one pair of electrons
sol - a suspension of solid particles in liquid. Artificial examples include sol-gels.
solid - one of the states of matter, where the molecules are packed close together, there is a resistance of movement/deformation and volume change; see Young's modulus
solute - the part of the solution that is mixed into the solvent (NaCl in saline water)
solution - homogeneous mixture made up of multiple substances. It is made up of solutes and solvents.
solvent - the part of the solution that dissolves the solute (H₂O in saline water)
spectroscopy - study of radiation and matter, such as X-ray absorption and emission spectroscopy
speed of light - the speed of anything that has zero rest mass (Energy_rest = mc² where m is the mass and c is the speed of light)
Standard conditions for temperature and pressure or SATP - a standardisation used in order compare experimental results (25 °C and 100.000 kPa)
state of matter - matter having a homogeneous, macroscopic phase; gas, plasma, liquid, and solid are the most well known (in increasing concentration)
sublimation - a phase transition from solid to gas
subatomic particles - particles that are smaller than an atom; examples are protons, neutrons and electrons
substance - material with definite chemical composition

T

Phase diagram showing the triple and critical points of a substance

talc - a mineral representing the one on the Mohs Scale and composed of hydrated magnesium silicate with the chemical formula H₂Mg₃(SiO₃)₄ or Mg₃Si₄O₁₀(OH)₂
temperature - the average energy of microscopic motions of particles
theoretical yield - see yield
theory - a model describing the nature of a phenomenon
thermal conductivity - a property of a material to conduct heat (often noted as $k$ )
thermochemistry - the study of absorption/release of heat within a chemical reaction
thermodynamics - the study of the effects of changing temperature, volume or pressure (or work, heat, and energy) on a macroscopic scale
thermodynamic stability - when a system is in its lowest energy state with its environment (equilibrium)
thermometer - device that measures the average energy of a system
titration - the process of titrating one solution with another, also called volumetric analysis
torr - a unit to measure pressure (1 Torr is equivalent to 133.322 Pa or 1.3158×10⁻³ atm)
transition metal - elements that have incomplete d sub-shells, but also may be referred to as the d-block elements
transuranic element - element with atomic number greater than 92; none of the transuranic elements are stable
triple bond - the sharing of three pairs of electrons within a covalent bond (example N₂)
triple point - the place where temperature and pressure of three phases are the same (Water has a special phase diagram)
Tyndall effect - the effect of light scattering by colloidal (mixture where one substance is dispersed evenly through another) or suspended particles

U

UN number - a four digit code used to note hazardous and flammable substances
uncertainty - a characteristic that any measurement that involves estimation of any amount cannot be exactly reproducible
Uncertainty principle - knowing the location of a particle makes the momentum uncertain, while knowing the momentum of a particle makes the location uncertain
unit cell - the smallest repeating unit of a lattice
unit factor - statements used in converting between units
universal or ideal gas constant - proportionality constant in the ideal gas law (0.08206 L·atm/(K·mol))

V

valence electron - the outermost electrons of an atom, which are located in electron shells
Valence bond theory - a theory explaining the chemical bonding within molecules by discussing valencies, the number of chemical bonds formed by an atom
van der Waals force - one of the forces (attraction/repulsion) between molecules
van 't Hoff factor - ratio of moles of particles in solution to moles of solute dissolved
vapor - when a substance is below the critical temperature while in the gas phase
vapour pressure - pressure of vapour over a liquid at equilibrium
vaporization - phase change from liquid to gas
viscosity - the resistance of a liquid to flow (oil)
volt - one joule of work per coulomb - the unit of electrical potential transferred
voltmeter - instrument that measures the cell potential^{[disambiguation needed]}
volumetric analysis - see titration

W

water - H₂O - a chemical substance, a major part of cells and Earth, and covalently bonded
wave function - a function describing the electron's position in a three dimensional space
work - the amount of force over distance and is in terms of joules (energy)

X

X-ray - form of ionizing, electromagnetic radiation, between gamma and UV rays
X-ray diffraction - a method for establishing structures of crystalline solids using singe wavelength X-rays and looking at diffraction pattern
X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy - a spectroscopic technique to measure composition of a material

Y

yield - the amount of product produced during a chemical reaction

Z

zone melting - a way to remove impurities from an element by melting it and slowly travel down an ingot (cast)
Zwitterion - is a chemical compound whose net charge is zero and hence is electrically neutral. But there are some positive and negative charges in it, due to the formal charge, owing to the partial charges of its constituent atoms.

External links

IUPAC Compendium of Chemical Terminology

Category:Chemistry-related lists Category:Chemistry Chemistry