Chemistry Vocabulary Flashcards: Essential Terms
45 cards · free to study, print and copy
Chemistry Vocabulary Flashcards: Essential Terms
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About this deck
This deck covers the terms that come up again and again in a first chemistry course: atomic structure, the periodic table, chemical bonds, reactions, solutions, acids and bases, and the mole.
Every card has a term on the front and a short definition on the back, written in plain language. Some include a quick example, such as a common acid or a sample reaction type.
Use it alongside the periodic table deck in this library, or as review before a unit test or the chemistry section of a standardized exam.
Study tips
- Learn opposites together: exothermic/endothermic, oxidation/reduction, acid/base, solute/solvent.
- For redox, a common memory aid is "OIL RIG": oxidation is loss, reduction is gain (of electrons).
- Write a real example next to each definition, like NaCl for an ionic compound.
- Explain a term out loud in your own words before flipping the card.
All 45 cards
| Front | Back |
|---|---|
| Matter | Anything that has mass and takes up space |
| Element | A pure substance made of only one kind of atom |
| Compound | A substance of two or more elements chemically bonded in a fixed ratio |
| Mixture | Two or more substances physically combined, not chemically bonded |
| Atom | The smallest unit of an element that keeps its chemical properties |
| Molecule | Two or more atoms held together by covalent bonds |
| Proton | Positively charged particle in the nucleus |
| Neutron | Particle with no charge in the nucleus |
| Electron | Negatively charged particle outside the nucleus |
| Atomic number | Number of protons in an atom; identifies the element |
| Mass number | Protons + neutrons in an atom's nucleus |
| Isotope | Atoms of the same element with different numbers of neutrons |
| Ion | An atom or group of atoms with an electric charge from gaining or losing electrons |
| Cation | A positively charged ion |
| Anion | A negatively charged ion |
| Valence electrons | Electrons in the outermost shell; they take part in bonding |
| Group (periodic table) | A vertical column; elements share similar properties |
| Period (periodic table) | A horizontal row |
| Ionic bond | Attraction between oppositely charged ions after electrons are transferred |
| Covalent bond | A bond formed when atoms share electron pairs |
| Metallic bond | Positive metal ions held in a sea of shared electrons |
| Electronegativity | How strongly an atom attracts shared electrons in a bond |
| Chemical reaction | A process that rearranges atoms to form new substances |
| Reactants | Starting substances in a chemical reaction |
| Products | Substances formed by a chemical reaction |
| Law of conservation of mass | Mass is neither created nor destroyed in a chemical reaction |
| Exothermic reaction | Releases energy (usually heat) to the surroundings |
| Endothermic reaction | Absorbs energy from the surroundings |
| Catalyst | Speeds up a reaction without being used up |
| Activation energy | Minimum energy needed to start a reaction |
| Oxidation | Loss of electrons |
| Reduction | Gain of electrons |
| Solution | A uniform mixture of a solute dissolved in a solvent |
| Solute | The substance being dissolved |
| Solvent | The substance that does the dissolving; often water |
| Concentration | Amount of solute in a given amount of solution |
| Molarity | Moles of solute per liter of solution (mol/L) |
| Acid | Substance that donates H⁺ ions; pH below 7 in water, e.g. HCl |
| Base | Substance that accepts H⁺ ions or releases OH⁻; pH above 7 in water, e.g. NaOH |
| pH scale | 0–14 scale of acidity; 7 is neutral |
| Neutralization | Acid + base → salt + water |
| Mole | Amount of substance containing 6.022 × 10²³ particles |
| Molar mass | Mass of one mole of a substance, in g/mol |
| Physical change | Change in form or state without making a new substance, e.g. melting ice |
| Chemical change | Change that produces new substances, e.g. burning wood |
Frequently asked questions
›What is the difference between an atom and a molecule?
An atom is a single particle of an element. A molecule is two or more atoms bonded together, such as O₂ or H₂O.
›What does pH measure?
How acidic or basic a water solution is, based on its hydrogen ion concentration. 7 is neutral; lower is acidic; higher is basic.
›How big is a mole?
One mole contains about 6.022 × 10²³ particles (Avogadro's number).
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