GLOSSARY acid rain: rain that is polluted by acid in the atmosphere and damages the environment.
acid: any material that can
accept a pair of electrons and has a pH less than 7.
of matter that cannot be broken down by chemical means. An atom is made up of a nucleus of protons and neutrons, surrounded by a cloud of electrons.
agriculture: growing plants and raising animals for food and other products.
atomic mass: the sum of
alcohol: any organic
atomic number: the number of protons in an atom’s nucleus.
compound in which a hydroxyl group (–OH) is bound to a saturated carbon atom.
alkaline: having a pH greater than 7.
allotropes: different structural forms of an element in which the atoms of the element are bonded together in a different way. alloy: a mixture of two or more metals, or of a metal and another element.
alpha decay: when a nucleus
breaks apart and emits a helium nucleus, called an alpha particle.
amu: a unit of measurement,
the number of protons and neutrons in an atom’s nucleus.
atomic symbol: the symbol that represents an element on the periodic table.
Avogadro’s law: a law that
states that the molar volumes of all ideal gases are the same.
base: a substance that
accepts a hydrogen ion (H+) from another substance. Examples include baking soda, ammonia, and oven cleaner.
basic: having a pH lower than 7. beta decay: a kind of
radioactive decay of an atomic nucleus when an electron called a beta particle is emitted.
atomic mass unit, used to measure the mass of atoms and molecules.
biochemistry: the study of
anion: an atom or group of
biology: the study of life
anode: the electrode
where oxidation occurs.
boiling point: the temperature at which a liquid boils.
aqueous solution: a solution
Boyle’s law: a gas law that
atoms with a negative charge.
in which the solvent is water.
atmosphere: a unit of measure of pressure.
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atom: the smallest particle
CHEMISTRY | GLOSSARY
chemistry in living things.
and of living organisms.
states that the pressure and volume of a gas have an inverse relationship, when temperature is held constant.
carbon: an element found in all organic compounds. catalyst: a material that increases the rate of a chemical reaction without being consumed in the reaction. cathode: the electrode where reduction takes place. cation: an atom or group of atoms with a positive charge. cellular biology: the study of cell structure and function. characteristic: a feature of
a person, place, or thing, such as blue eyes or curly hair.
Charles’s law: a gas law that describes how gases expand when heated, and the relationship between volume and temperature. chemical equation: the use of symbols to represent a chemical reaction, with reactants on the left and products on the right. chemical reaction: a process where one or more substances are chemically charged and transformed into different substances. chemistry: the study of the properties of substances and how they react with one another. chromatography: a method of separating a mixture by passing it through a third material.
