Chemistry
Chemistry is the study of matter, its properties and the changes it can undergo.
Key Concepts
- Matter: Anything that has mass and takes up space
- Elements: Substances made up of only one type of atom
- Compounds: Substances made up of two or more different elements chemically combined
- Molecules: The smallest unit of a compound that has its properties
- Chemical reactions: The process in which one or more substances are converted to new substances with different properties
- Stoichiometry: The study of the quantitative relationships between reactants and products in a chemical reaction
Important Definitions
- Atomic number: The number of protons in an element's nucleus
- Mass number: The total number of protons and neutrons in an element's nucleus
- Isotopes: Atoms of the same element that have different numbers of neutrons
- Avogadro's number: The number of atoms or molecules in one mole of a substance (6.02 x 1023)
- Molar mass: The mass of one mole of a substance in grams
- Law of Conservation of Mass: Matter cannot be created or destroyed in a chemical reaction, only rearranged
Important Information
- The periodic table is a tool used to organize elements based on their atomic structure and properties
- Organic chemistry is the study of carbon-containing compounds, which make up the majority of life on Earth
- Acids are substances that donate hydrogen ions (H+) in a solution, while bases are substances that accept hydrogen ions or donate hydroxide ions (OH-)
- pH is a measure of the acidity or basicity of a solution, and ranges from 0 to 14, with 7 being neutral
- Chemical kinetics is the study of the rates and mechanisms of chemical reactions
- Thermodynamics is the study of the interrelation between heat and other forms of energy in a chemical or physical process
Takeaways
- Chemistry is the study of matter, its properties, and the changes it can undergo
- Elements are made up of one type of atom, while compounds are made up of different elements chemically combined
- Chemical reactions involve the rearrangement of atoms to create new substances, while stoichiometry governs the quantitative relationships between reactants and products
- The periodic table organizes elements based on their atomic structure and properties, while organic chemistry focuses on carbon-containing compounds
- Acids donate hydrogen ions in solution, while bases accept hydrogen ions or donate hydroxide ions
- pH is a measure of the acidity or basicity of a solution, while chemical kinetics and thermodynamics study the rates and mechanisms of chemical reactions and the interrelation between heat and energy