Glossary
A
- atoms
- - the smallest particle of an element, the building blocks of matter
C
- chemical bonds
- - forces by which atoms are bound together in a molecule or compound
- Chemical changes
- - changes to the molecular composition of a substance
- chemical reaction
- - reactions in which chemical bonds are formed or broken, and one or more substances change into entirely new substances with different properties
- chemist
- - a scientist who studies chemistry
- chemistry
- - the scientific study of matter: the structure, properties, and reactions of the elements and the compounds they form
- components
- - parts or pieces that make up a larger whole
- compound
- - a molecule made of atoms of different elements; two or more atoms joined together chemically
- Covalent bonds
- - chemical bonds in which electrons are shared between atoms
E
- electrons
- - particles of an atom that are negatively charged and orbit the nucleus
- elements
- - pure substance that contains only one type of atom
- evaporated
- - turn from liquid into vapor
F
- filter
- - a device through which a gas or liquid is passed to separate out solid matter
- formulas
- - a shorthand recipe for a compound, using letters to represent elements and numbers to represent the number of atoms
I
- Ionic bonds
- - chemical bonds in which electrons are donated or transferred between atoms
M
- matter
- - anything that has mass and takes up space
- mixture
- - a combination of two or more substances that are not chemically joined and can be physically separated
- molecule
- - two or more atoms joined together by chemical bonds
N
- neutrons
- - particles of an atom that have no charge and are located in the nucleus
- nucleus
- - the collection of protons and neutrons in the center of an atom
O
- orbit
- - to move or circle around another object
P
- Periodic Table of Elements
- - a table that organizes the elements by their atomic number and chemical properties
- Physical changes
- - a change to the size, shape, or state of a substance
- properties
- - the distinctive color, temperature, feel, smell, taste or behavior of a substance
- protons
- - particles of an atom that are positively charged and are located in the nucleus
S
- state of matter
- - one of several states in which matter can exist, including solid, liquid, gas, and plasma
