CHEMICAL TERMINOLOGY

KEYPOINT IN CHEMISTRY

1. Absolute Alcohol - common name for high purity ethanol or ethyl alcohol.
2. Absolute Error - expression of the uncertainty or inaccuracy of a measurement.
3. Absolute Temperature - temperature measured using the Kelvin scale.
4. Absolute Uncertainty - the uncertainty of a scientific measurement, given in the same units as the measurement.
5. Absolute Zero - the lowest possible state at which matter can exist, 0 K or -273.15°C.
6. Absorbance - measure of the amount of light absorbed by a sample.
7. Acid - a chemical species that accepts electrons or donate protons or hydrogen ions.
8. Acid Anhydride - a nonmetal oxide that reacts with water to form an acidic solution.
9. Acid Dissociation Constant - Ka - a quantitative measure of how strong an acid is.
10. Acid-Base Indicator - a weak acid or weak base that changes color when the concentration of hydrogen or
hydroxide ions changes in an aqueous solution.
11. Acid-Base Titration - a procedure to find the concentration of an acid or base by reacting a known concentration
with the unknown until the equivalence point is reached.
12. Acidic Solution - an aqueous solution with a pH less than 7.0.
13. Actinides - Usually, the actinides are considered to be elements 90 (thorium) through 103 (lawrencium).
Otherwise, the actinides are defined according to their common properties.
14. Actinium - the name for the element with atomic number 89 and is represented by the symbol Ac. It is a member
of the actinide group.
15. Activated complex - an intermediate state at the maximum energy point on the reaction path that occurs as
reactants are being converted into product in a chemical reaction.
16. Activation Energy - Ea - the minimum amount of energy needed for a chemical reaction to occur.
17. Active Transport - the movement of molecules or ions from a region of lower concentration to higher
concentration; requires energy
18. Activity Series - list of metals ranked in order of decreasing activity, used to predict which metals displace others
in aqueous solutions.
19. Actual Yield - the quantity of product experimentally obtained from a chemical reaction.
20. Acute Health Effect - the effect caused by initial exposure to a chemical.
21. Acyl Group - a functional group with the formula RCO- where R is bound to carbon via a single bond.
22. Adsorption - the adhesion of a chemical species onto a surface
23. Adulterant - a chemical that acts as a contaminant in the context of another substance's purity.
24. Aether - a medium believed to carry light waves in the 18th and 19th century.
25. Air - the mixture of gases that make up the Earth's atmosphere, consisting mainly of nitrogen, with oxygen, water
vapor, argon, and carbon dioxide.
26. Alchemy -Several definitions of alchemy exist. Originally, alchemy was an ancient tradition of sacred chemistry
used to discern the spiritual and temporal nature of reality, its structure, laws, and functions.
27. Alcohol - a substance that contains an -OH group attached to a hydrocarbon.
28. Aliphatic Amino Acid - amino acid that has an aliphatic side chain.
29. Aliphatic Compound - an organic compound containing carbon and hydrogen joined into straight chains,
branches chains, or non-aromatic rings.
30. Aliphatic Hydrocarbon - a hydrocarbon containing carbon and hydrogen joined into straight chains, branches
chains, or non-aromatic rings.
31. Alkali Metal - any element found in group IA (first column) of the periodic table.
32. Alkaline - an aqueous solution with a pH greater than 7.
33. Alkalinity - a quantitative measure of a solution
34. Amphoteric Oxide - oxide that can act as either an acid or a base in a reaction to produce a salt and water.
35. Amu - atomic mass unit or 1/12th the mass of an unbound atom of carbon-12.
36. Analytical Chemistry - chemistry discipline that studies the chemical composition of materials and tools used to
examine them.
37. Angstrom - unit of length equal to 10-10 meters.
38. Angular Momentum Quantum Number - ℓ, the quantum number associated with the angular momentum of an
electron.
39. Anhydrous - describes a substance that does not contain water or else is as concentrated as it can get.
40. Anion - an ion with a negative electrical charge.
41. Anode - electron where oxidation occurs; positive charged anode
42. Antibonding Orbital - molecular orbital with an electron outside the region between the two nuclei.
43. Anti-Markovnikov Addition - an addition reaction between an electrophilic compound HX and either an alkene
or alkyne in which the hydrogen atom bonds to the carbon with the least number of hydrogen atoms and X bonds
to the other carbon.
44. Antimony - Antimony is the name for the element with atomic number 36 and is represented by the symbol Kr. It
is a member of the metalloid group.
45. Anti-Periplanar - periplanar conformation where the dihedral atom between atoms is between 150° and 180°.
46. Aqua Regia - mixture of hydrochloric and nitric acids, capable of dissolving gold, platinum, and palladium.
47. Aqueous - describes a system containing water.
48. Aqueous Solution - a solution in which water is the solvent.
49. Argon - Argon is the name for the element with atomic number 18 and is represented by the symbol Ar. It is a
member of the noble gases group.
50. CAFFEINE - Caffeine is a chemical substance naturally found in tea and coffee and added to colas.
51. CALCIUM - Calcium is the name for the element with atomic number 20 and is represented by the symbol Ca. It
is a member of the alkaline earth metal group.
52. CALORIE - unit of thermal energy; the amount of energy required to raise the temperature of 1 gram of water 1-
degree C or K at standard pressure.bn
53. CALORIMETER - instrument designed to measure heat flow of a chemical reaction or physical change.
54. CAPILLARY ACTION - the spontaneous floe of liquid into a narrow tube or porous material.
55. CARBON - Carbon is the name for the element with atomic number 6 and is represented by the symbol C. It is a
member of the nonmetal group.
56. CARBONATE - an ion consisting of one carbon bonded to three oxygen atoms (CO32-) or a compound
containing this ion.
57. CARBONYL - functional group consisting of a carbon atom double bonded to oxygen, C=O.
58. CARBOXYL GROUP - functional group consisting of a carbon double bonded to oxygen and single bonded to a
hydroxyl (-COOH).
59. CATALYST - substance that increases the chemical reaction rate by decreasing its activation energy.
60. CATENATION - binding of an element to itself via covalent bonds, forming a chain or ring
61. CATHODE - electrode where reduction occurs; usually the negative electrode.
62. CATION - ion with a positive electrical charge.
63. CELSIUS TEMPERATURE SCALE - temperature scale where 0°C and 100°C are defined as the freezing and
boiling points of water, respectively.
64. CERIUM - rare earth metal with element symbol Ce and atomic number 58.
65. CESIUM - Cesium is the name for the element with atomic number 55 and is represented by the symbol Cs. It is a
member of the alkali metal group.
66. CETANE NUMBER (CN) - value that describes the combustion quality of diesel fuel, based on the delay
between injection and ignition.
67. CHAIN REACTION - set of chemical reactions in which products become reactants of another reaction.
68. CHARGE - an electrical charge, a conserved property of subatomic particles determining their electromagnetic
interaction.
69. CHARLES'S LAW - ideal gas law that states the volume of an ideal gas is directly proportional to absolute
temperature, assuming constant pressure.
70. CHELATE - organic compound formed by bonding a polydentate ligand to a central metal atom, or the act of
forming such a compound.
71. CHEMICAL - any matter or substance that has mass.
72. CHEMICAL CHANGE - process by which one or more substances are altered to form new substances.
73. CHEMICAL ENERGY - energy contained in the internal structure of an atom or molecule.
74. CHEMICAL EQUATION - description of a chemical reaction, including the reactants, products, and direction of
the reaction.
75. CHEMICAL EQUILIBRIUM - state of a chemical reaction where the concentration of the reactants and
products remains stable over time.
76. CHEMICAL FORMULA - expression which states the number and type of atoms in a molecule.
77. CHEMICAL KINETICS - the study of chemical processes and rates of reactions.
78. CHEMICAL PROPERTY - characteristic which may be observed when matter undergoes a chemical change.
79. CHEMICAL REACTION - a chemical change in which reactants form one or more new products.
80. CHEMICAL SYMBOL - one- or two-letter representation of a chemical element (e.g., H, Al).
81. CHEMILUMINESCENCE - light emitted as a result of a chemical reaction
82. CHEMISTRY - study of matter and energy and the interactions between them
83. CHERENKOV RADIATION - Cherenkov radiation is the electromagnetic radiation emitted when a charged
particle moves through a dielectric medium faster than the velocity of light in the medium.
84. CHIRAL CENTER - the atom in a molecule bonded to four chemical species, allowing optical isomerism.
85. CHIRALITY - Chirality or chiral describes a no superimposable mirror image, like left and right hands. Usually
in chemistry the term is used to describe a pair of molecules that have the same formulas, but form a pair of
structures.
86. CHLORINE - halogen with atomic number 17 and element symbol Cl.
87. CHLOROFLUOROCARBON - A chlorofluorocarbon or CFC is a compound that contains atoms of chlorine,
fluorine, and carbon.
88. CHROMATOGRAPHY - group of techniques used to separate mixture components by passing the mixture
through a stationary phase.
89. CHROMIUM - Chromium is the name for the element with atomic number 24 and is represented by the symbol
Cr. It is a member of the transition metals group.
90. COAGULATION - the gelling or clumping of particles, usually in a colloid.
91. COBALT - transition metal that is atomic number 27 with element symbol Co.
92. COENZYME - substance that works with an enzyme to aid its function or initiate its action.
93. COHESION - measure of how well molecules stick to each other or group together.
94. COLLAGEN - an important family of proteins found in humans and other animals, found in skin, cartilage, blood
vessels, and tendons.
95. COLLIGATIVE PROPERTIES - properties of a solution that depend on the number of particles in a volume of
solvent.
96. COLLOID - a homogenous mixture in which dispersed particles do not settle out.
97. COMBINATION REACTION - reaction in which two reactants combine to form a single product.
98. COMBINED GAS LAW - law which states the ratio of the product of pressure and volume, divided by the
absolute temperature, is a constant value.
99. COMBUSTION - chemical reaction between a fuel and oxidizer that yields energy (usually heat and light).
100. COMMON-ION EFFECT - suppressing effect an electrolyte has on the ionization of another electrolyte
that shares a common ion.
101. COMPLEX ION - ion in which a central metal ion is bonded to one or more ions or molecules.
102. COMPOUND - chemical species formed when two or more atoms form a chemical bond.
103. CONCENTRATED - having a large ratio of solute to solvent.
104. CONCENTRATION - an expression of the quantity of a substance in a defined volume.
105. CONDENSATION - state of matter change from vapor phase to liquid phase.
106. CONDENSATION REACTION - chemical reaction in which one of the products is water or ammonia,
also known as a dehydration reaction.
107. CONDENSED FORMULA - chemical formula in which atom symbols are listed in the order they appear
in the molecular structure, with limited bond dashes.
108. CONDUCTOR - material which permits the flow of energy (e.g., electrical conductor, thermal
conductor).
109. CONFORMER - an isomer that differs from another isomer by rotation around a single bond
110. DE BROGLIE EQUATION - equation describing the wave properties of matter, stated as wavelength
equals Planck's constant divided by the product of mass and velocity.
111. DECANTATION - method of separating mixtures by removing the liquid layer from a precipitate.
112. DECOMPOSITION REACTION - chemical reaction in which a single reactant yields two or more
products.
113. DEFLAGRATION - type of combustion in which flame propagation is less than 100 m/s and
overpressure is less than 0.5 bar.
114. DEHYDRATION REACTION - chemical reaction between two compounds in which one of the
products is water.
115. DELIQUESCENCE - process by which a soluble substance picks up water vapor from the atmosphere to
form a solution.
116. DELOCALIZED ELECTRON - any electron in an ion, atom, or molecule that is no longer associated
with a particular atom or single covalent bond.
117. DENSITY - mass per unit volume.
118. DEPENDENT VARIABLE - variable being measured (tested) in response to changing the independent
variable.
119. DEPOSITION - settling of sediment or particles onto a surface or the phase change from the vapor to
solid phase.
120. DEPROTONATION - chemical reaction in which a radical removes a proton from a molecule.
121. DERIVED UNIT - an SI unit made from a combination of the base units (e.g., Newton is kg·m/s2).
122. DESICCANT - chemical agent that picks up water, often used for drying.
123. DESUBLIMATION - phase change from vapor to solid.
124. DETERGENT - cleaning agent with general structure R-SO4-, Na+, where R is a long-chain alkyl group.
125. DIAMAGNETIC - not attracted to a magnetic field, generally because the material does not contain
unpaired electrons.
126. DIFFUSION - movement of a fluid from a region of higher concentration to lower concentration.
127. DILUTE - solution containing a small amount of solute relative to the amount of solvent.
128. DIPOLE - a separation of electrical or magnetic charges.
129. DIPOLE MOMENT - measure of the separation of two opposite electrical charges.
130. DIPROTIC ACID - acid that can donate two hydrogen atoms or protons per molecule in an aqueous
solution.
131. DIRECT PROPORTION - relation between two variables such that their ratio is a constant value.
132. DISACCHARIDE - carbohydrate formed when two monosaccharides bond, removing a molecule of
water from their structure.
133. DISPLACEMENT REACTION - chemical reaction in which the cation or anion of one reactant is
replaced by one from another reactant.
134. DISPROPORTIONATION - chemical reaction (usually redox) where a molecule forms two or more
dissimilar products.
135. DISSOCIATION REACTION - chemical reaction in which a reactant breaks into two or more parts.
136. DISSOLVE - a solute passing into solution, usually a solid going to the liquid phase.
137. DIVALENT CATION - positive charged ion with a valence of 2.
138. DNA - deoxyribonucleic acd, an organic molecule that codes for proteins.
139. DOUBLE BOND - chemical bond in which two electron pairs are shared between two atoms.
140. DOUBLE REPLACEMENT REACTION - chemical reaction in which two reactants exchange
anions/cations to form two new products using the same ions.
141. DRY ICE - the solid form of carbon dioxide
142. DUBNIUM - transition metal with element symbol Db and atomic number 105.
143. DUCTILE - able to be stretched into a wire without breaking.
144. DYNAMIC EQUILIBRIUM - chemical equilibrium between the forward and reverse reaction in which
the rates of reaction are equal to each other.
145. DYSPROSIUM - rare earth metal with element symbol Dy and atomic number 66.
146. ELECTRODE - the anode or cathode of an electrical cell.
147. ELECTROLYSIS - passage of direct current through an ion-conducting solution, producing a chemical
change at the electrodes.
148. ELECTROLYTE - a substance that forms ions in aqueous solution.
149. ELECTROLYTIC CELL - type of electrochemical cell in which the flow of electric energy from an
external source enables a redox reaction.
150. ELECTROMAGNETIC RADIATION - light; self-propagating energy that has electric and magnetic
field components.
151. ELECTROMOTIVE FORCE - EMF - the electric potential generated by either an en electrochemical
cell or changing magnetic field.
152. ELECTRON - stable negatively charged subatomic particle.
153. ELECTRON AFFINITY - measure of the ability of an atom to accept an electron.
154. ELECTRON CAPTURE (EC) - form of radioactive decay in which the atomic nucleus absorbs a K or L
shell electron, converting a proton into a neutron.
155. ELECTRON CLOUD - region of negative charge surrounding the atomic nucleus that has a high
probability of containing electrons.
156. Electron Configuration - description of the population of the electronic energy sublevels of an atom.
157. Electron Density - representation of the probability of finding an electron in a specific region around an
atom or molecule.
158. Electron Domain - the number of lone electron pairs or bond locations around an atom or molecule.
159. Electronegativity - property of an atom that reflects its ability to attract electrons in a chemical bond.
160. Faraday Constant - a physical constant equal to the electric charge of one mole of electrons, 96485.33
C/mol.
161. Family - a group of elements that share similar properties.
162. Fat - triesters of glycerol and fatty acids that are soluble in organic solvents, but generally insoluble in
water.
163. Fatty Acid - a carboxylic acid with a long hydrocarbon side chain.
164. Feedstock - any unprocessed material used as a supply for a manufacturing process.
165. Fermium - Fermium is the name for the element with atomic number 100 and is represented by the
symbol Fm. It is a member of the actinide group.
166. Fire Point - the lowest temperature a vapor will initiate and sustain combustion.
167. First Law Of Thermodynamics - law which states the total energy of a system and its surroundings is a
constant value; the law of conservation of energy.
168. Fission - the splitting of an atomic nucleus, which results in two or more lighter nuclei and a release of
energy.
169. Flame Test - an analytical technique used to identify ions based on their emission spectrum in a flame.
170. Flammable - easily ignited or capable of sustained combustion.
171. Fluid - a substance that flows under applied shear stress, including liquids, gases, and plasma.
172. Fluorescence - luminescence released when an atom absorbs electromagnetic radiation and emits a
photon when the electron falls to a lower energy state.
173. Foam - a substance containing gas bubbles trapped within a liquid or solid.
174. Forbital- electron orbital with l = 3 for the angular momentum quantum number,
175. Force - a push or pull on a mass, with both magnitude and direction (vector).
176. Freezing - process in which a liquid changes to a solid.
177. Freezing Point - temperature at which a liquid transitions to a solid (not always the same as melting
point).
178. Freezing Point Depression - lowering the freezing point of a liquid by adding another compound to it.
179. Frequency - number of times a point on a wave passes a reference point in one second.
180. Functional Groups Or Functional Moiety - group of atoms in a molecule that are responsible for
characteristic reactions and properties.
181. Fusion - combining light atomic nuclei to form a heavier nucleus, accompanied by the release of energy.
182. gadolinium - rare earth metal with element symbol Gd and atomic number 64.
183. Gallium - metal with element symbol Ga and atomic number 31.
184. Galvanic Cell - electrochemical cell where reactions between dissimilar conductors occur through a salt
bridge and electrolyte.
185. Gamma Radiation - high energy ionizing photons, originating from the atomic nucleus.
186. Gas - state of matter characterized by having neither a defined shape nor defined volume.
187. Gas Constant (R) - the constant in the Ideal Gas Law; R = 8.3145 J/mol·K.
188. Gay-Lussac's Law - form of the ideal gas law that states the pressure of an ideal gas is directly
proportional to its absolute (Kelvin) temperature when volume is held constant.
189. Gel - a type of sol where the solid particles are held in a mesh to form a rigid or semi-rigid mixture.
190. Geometric Isomer - molecules with the same number and type of atoms as each other, but with different
geometrical configurations. Also called cis-trans or configurational isomerism.
191. Germanium - metalloid with element symbol Ge and atomic number 32.
192. Gibbs Free Energy - a measure of the potential for reversible or maximum work done by a system at
constant pressure and temperature.
193. Glass - an amorphous solid.
194. Glycosidic Bond - a covalent bond between a carbohydrate and a functional group or another molecule.
195. Gold - yellow-colored transition metal with element symbol Au and atomic number 79.
196. Graham's Law - relation stating the rate of effusion of a gas is inversely proportional to the square root of
its molecular mass or density.
197. Grain Alcohol - purified form of ethyl alcohol made from distilling fermented grain.
198. Gram - unit of mass equal to the mass of one cubic centimeter of water at 4°C.
199. hafnium - transition metal with element symbol Hf and atomic number 72.
200. Half-Cell - half of an electrolytic or voltaic cell, serving as the site of either oxidation or reduction.