DEFINITION OF TERMS

1. Science
a branch of knowledge or study dealing with a body of facts or truths systematically arranged and
showing the operation of general laws:
systematic knowledge of the physical or material world gained through observation and
experimentation.
2. Scientific discipline
a particular branch of scientific knowledge
3. Chemistry
a science that deals with the composition, structure, and properties of substances and with the
transformations that they undergo
4. Five Principal Branches of Chemistry
1. Organic Chemistry - the study of carbon and its compounds; the study of the chemistry
of life.
2. Inorganic Chemistry - the study of compounds not-covered by organic chemistry; the
study of inorganic compounds or compounds which do not contain a C-H bond. Many
inorganic compounds are those which contain metals.
3. Analytical Chemistry - the study of the chemistry of matter and the development of tools
used to measure properties of matter.
4. Physical Chemistry - the branch of chemistry that applies physics to the study of
chemistry. Commonly this includes the applications of thermodynamics and quantum
mechanics to chemistry.
5. Biochemistry - the study of chemical processes that occur inside of living organisms.
5. Scientific method
a method of research in which a problem is identified, relevant data are gathered, a hypothesis is
formulated from these data, and the hypothesis is empirically tested.

6. Hypothesis
an idea or explanation that you then test through study and experimentation.
7. Theory
an idea or set of ideas that is intended to explain facts or events
8. Scientific law
the description of an observed phenomenon.
9. Experiment - a scientific test in which you perform a series of actions and carefully observe
their effects in order to learn about something
10. Matter - that which occupies space and has mass
11. Three Physical States of Matter
1. Solid matter is composed of tightly packed particles. A solid will retain its shape; the
particles are not free to move around.
2. Liquid matter is made of more loosely packed particles. It will take the shape of its
container. Particles can move about within a liquid, but they are packed densely enough
that volume is maintained.
3. Gaseous matter is composed of particles packed so loosely that it has neither a defined
shape nor a defined volume. A gas can be compressed.
12. Substance - matter which has a specific composition and specific properties.
13. Two Types of Pure Substances
1. An element is a pure substance which cannot be broken down by further
chemical techniques.
2. A compound is a pure substance composed of two or more different atoms
chemically bonded to one another.
14. Classes of Matter
Matter can be classified by its state.
1. Solids have a set volume and shape.The inter molecular force of
attraction for solid matter is very strong.
2. Liquids have a set volume, but change shape. The inter molecular force
of attraction for liquid matter is weaker than solid matter.
3. Gases have neither definite volume nor shape. The inter molecular force
of attraction for gaseous matter is negligible

4. Plasma which are usually gaseous state of matter in which a part or all
of the atoms or molecules are dissociated to form ions.
Matter can also be classified by its chemical composition.
1. An element is a pure substance made up of atoms with the same number
of protons. As of 2011, 118 elements have been observed, 92 of which
occur naturally. Carbon (C), Oxygen (O), Hydrogen (H) are examples of
elements. The periodic table is a tabular representation of the known
elements.
2. A compound consists of two or more chemical elements that are
chemically bonded together. Water (H2O) and table sugar (C12H22O11) are
examples of chemical compounds. The ratio of the elements in a
compound is always the same. For example in water, the number of H
atoms is always twice the number of O atoms.
3. A mixture consists of two or more substances (element or compound)
mixed together without any chemical bond. Salad is a good example. A
mixture can be separated into its individual components by mechanical
means.
15. Mixtures - A mixture is formed of little bits of one or more substances mixed
together.
16. Two Kinds of Mixtures 2. A homogeneous mixture is uniform, which means that any given sample of
the mixture will have the same composition.
3. A heterogeneous mixture is not uniform. Different samples may have
different compositions, like the example of chocolate chip ice cream.

17. Properties/Changes of Matter

1. Physical Properties and Changes - matter can exist in three different states

Intensive properties: A physical property that will be the same regardless of

the amount of matter.

density: =m

color: The pigment or shade

conductivity: electricity to flow through the substance

malleability: if a substance can be flattened

luster: how shiny the substance looks

Extensive Properties: A physical property that will change if the amount of
matter changes.

mass: how much matter in the sample

volume: How much space the sample takes up

length: How long the sample is

2. Chemical Properties and Changes - cannot be observed and measured only by

changing the identity of the substance.
Chemical Property: Any characteristic that gives a sample of matter the
ability/inability to undergo a change that alters its composition. Examples:
Alkali metals react with water; Paper's ability to burn.
Chemical Change: Change in which one or more kinds of matter
are transformed to new kinds of matter with altered compositions (or
Chemical Reaction).
18. Chemical Symbols - an abbreviation or short representation of a chemical element;
the symbols in the periodic table