- Accuracy: The closeness of a measurement to the actual value of what is being measured.
- Acid: a compound that produces hydronium ions when dissolved in water.
- Atom: The smallest particle of an element.
- Atomic mass: A value that depends on the distribution of an elements isotopes in nature an the masses of those isotopes.
- Atomic Number: The number of protons in an element.
- Base: A compound that produces hydroxide ions when dissolved in water.
- Chemical Bond: The force that holds atoms or ions together as a unit.
- Combustion Reaction: A reaction in which a substance reacts rapidly with oxygen, often producing heat and light.
- Concentration of a solution: The amount of solute dissolved in a specified amount of solution.
- Condensation: The phase change in which a substance changes from a gas to a liquid.
- Configuration: An arrangement of objects in a given space.
- Controlled Experiment: A standard for comparison, holds a variable constant.
- Critical Mass: The smallest possible mass of a fissionable material that can sustain a chain reaction.
- Decomposition Reaction: A reaction in which a compound breaks down into two or more simpler substances.
- Definite: It wont change shape and volume just by being moved.
- Density: Comparison of how much matter there is in a certain space.
- Deposition: The phase change in which a gas changes directly into a solid without first changing to a liquid.
- Displacement: The direction from the starting point and the length of a straight line from the starting point to the ending point.
- Distance: The length of a path between two points.
- Double Replacement Reaction: A reaction in which two different compounds exchange positive ions and form two new compounds.
- Electron Configuration: The arrangement of electrons in the orbitals of an atom.
- Endothermic: Absorbs energy.
- Exothermic: Releases energy.
- Fire blanket: Usually located in the back of the lab room. (red container)
- Fire Extinguisher: Usually located near the front of the lab room. Remember the acronym PASS
- Fission: The splitting of an atomic nucleus into two smaller parts.
- Freezing: The phase change in which a substance changes from a liquid to a solid.
- Fusion: a process in which the nuclei of two atoms combine to form a larger nucleus.
- Gas: The state of matter in which a material has neither a definite shape nor a definite volume.
- Gravitational Force: An attractive force that acts between two masses.
- Half Life: The time required for one half of a sample of a radioisotope to decay.
- Heat of Fusion: Amount of energy required to change from a solid to a liquid.
- Heat of Vaporization: Amount of energy needed to change from a liquid to a gas.
- Heat Resistant Gloves: Worn to shield hands from hot items.
- Inertia: The tendency of an object to resist a change in its motion
- Ionic Bond: The force that holds cations and anions together as a unit.
- Lab Apron: Worn to protect body from substances.
- Length: The straight-line distance between two points.
- Liquid: The state of matter that has a definite volume but not a definite shape.
- Manipulated Variable (Independent): Causes a change in another variable.
- Mass: The quantity of matter in an object or sample.
- Matter: The shape of an object.
- Melting: The phase change in which a substance changes from a solid to a liquid.
- Metric Conversion: The conversion of the same number from one unit to another. for example converting something in centimeters to the same number in millimeters.
- Molecules: particles formed by covalent bonds.
- Nucleus: A dense positively charged mass located in the center of the atom.
- Periodic Table: An arrangements of elements in columns, based on a set of properties that repeat from row to row.
- Phase Change: A reversible physical change that occurs when a substance changes from one state of matter to another.
- Physical Change: A change that does not alter the identity of substances in a material.
- Physical Property: Any characteristic of a material you can observe without changing the substance that make up the material.
- Polar Covalent Bond: a covalent bond in which electrons are not shared equally.
- Precision: a gauge of how exact a measurement is.
- Products: New substance formed as a result of a change.
- Radioactivity: The process in which an unstable atomic nucleus emits charged particles and energy.
- Reactants: The substances that undergo a change.
- Responding Variable (Dependent): The variable that changes in response to the manipulated variable.
- Safety Goggles: used to protect eyes from anything that might harm them.
- Saturated: A solution that contains as much solute as the solvent can hold at a given temperature.
- Scalar: Quantities that are fully described by a magnitude (or numerical value) alone.
- Scientific Law: "rule of nature" evidence summed up by related observations and experimental results to describe a pattern found in nature.
- Scientific Notation: A way to write a large number in a simpler, smaller way.
- Scientific Theory: This is an explanation based on many observations supported by experimental results.
- Significant Features: All the digits that are known in a measurement, plus the last digit that is estimated.
- Single Replacement Reaction: A reaction in which one element takes the place of another element in a compound.
- Solid: The state of matter in which materials have a definite shape and a definite volume.
- Solubility: The maximum amount of solute that dissolves in a given amount of solvent at a constant temperature.
- Sublimation: The phase change in which a substance changes from a solid to a gas without going into a liquid first.
- Supersaturated: A supersaturated solution is one that contains more solute than it can normally hold at a given temperature.
- Synthesis Reaction: A reaction in which two or more substances react to form a single substance.
- Unsaturated: A solution that has less than the maximum amount of solute that can be dissolved.
- Valence Electrons: An electron that is put in the highest occupied energy level of an atom.
- Vaporization: The phase change in which a substance changes from a liquid to a gas.
- Vector: Quantities fully described by magnitude and direction.
- Volume: The amount of space taken up by an object.