Glossary
A alpha-helix a right-handed spiralling structure held by
absorption spectrum a series of dark lines (i.e., missing
parts) of a continuous spectrum; produced by placing a gas
between the continuous spectrum source and the observer;
also known as a dark-line spectrum
acid deposition acidic rain, snow, fog, dust
acid ionization constant, Ka equilibrium constant for the
ionization of an acid
acid–base indicator a chemical substance that changes
colour when the pH of the system changes
actinides the 14 metals in each of periods 6 and 7 that range
in atomic number from 57–70 and 89–102, respectively; the
elements filling the f block
activated complex an unstable chemical species containing
partially broken and partially formed bonds representing
the maximum potential energy point in the change; also
known as transition state
activation energy the minimum increase in potential
energy of a system required for molecules to react
addition polymer a polymer formed when monomer units
are linked through addition reactions; all atoms present in
the monomer are retained in the polymer
addition reaction a reaction of alkenes and alkynes in which
a molecule, such as hydrogen or a halogen, is added to a
double or triple bond
alcohol an organic compound characterized by the presence
of a hydroxyl functional group; R–OH
aldehyde an organic compound characterized by a terminal
carbonyl functional group; that is, a carbonyl group bonded
to at least one H atom
aldose a sugar molecule with an aldehyde functional group
at C 1
aliphatic hydrocarbon a compound that has a structure
based on straight or branched chains or rings of carbon
atoms; does not include aromatic compounds such as
benzene
alkane a hydrocarbon with only single bonds between
carbon atoms
alkene a hydrocarbon that contains at least one
carbon–carbon double bond; general formula, CnH2n
alkyl group a hydrocarbon group derived from an alkane by
the removal of a hydrogen atom; often a substitution group
or branch on an organic molecule
alkyl halide an alkane in which one or more of the hydrogen
atoms have been replaced with a halogen atom as a result of
a substitution reaction
alkyne a hydrocarbon that contains at least one
carbon2carbon triple bond; general formula, CnH2n–2
820 Glossary
intramolecular hydrogen bonding between groups along a
polymer chain
amide an organic compound characterized by the presence
of a carbonyl functional group (CO) bonded to a
nitrogen atom
amine an ammonia molecule in which one or more H atoms
are substituted by alkyl or aromatic groups
amino acid a compound in which an amino group and a
carboxyl group are attached to the same carbon atom
ampere (A) the SI unit for electric current; 1 A  1 C/s
amphoteric (amphiprotic) a substance capable of acting as
an acid or a base in different chemical reactions
anode the electrode where oxidation occurs
aromatic alcohol an alcohol that contains a benzene ring
aromatic hydrocarbon a compound with a structure based
on benzene: a ring of six carbon atoms
aufbau principle “aufbau” is German for building up; each
electron is added to the lowest energy orbital available in an
atom or ion
autoionization of water the reaction between two water
molecules producing a hydronium ion and a hydroxide ion
average rate of reaction the speed at which a reaction pro-
ceeds over a period of time (often measured as change in
concentration of a reactant or product over time)
B
base ionization constant, K b equilibrium constant for the
ionization of a base
battery a group of two or more electric cells connected in
series
bond dipole the electronegativity difference of two bonded
atoms represented by an arrow pointing from the lower
(1) to the higher (2) electronegativity
bond energy the minimum energy required to break one
mole of bonds between two particular atoms; a measure of
the stability of a chemical bond
bright-line spectrum a series of bright lines of light pro-
duced or emitted by a gas excited by, for example, heat or
electricity
Brønsted-Lowry acid a proton donor
Brønsted-Lowry base a proton acceptor
buffer a mixture of a conjugate acid–base pair that maintains
a nearly constant pH when diluted or when a strong acid or
base is added; an equal mixture of a weak acid and its
conjugate base
NEL

C condensation polymer a polymer formed when monomer
calorimetry the technological process of measuring energy
changes in a chemical system
carbohydrate a compound of carbon, hydrogen, and
oxygen, with a general formula Cx(H2O)y
carbonyl group a functional group containing a carbon
atom joined with a double covalent bond to an oxygen
atom; CO
carboxyl group a functional group consisting of a hydroxyl
group attached to the C atom of a carbonyl group; –COOH
carboxylic acid one of a family of organic compounds that
is characterized by the presence of a carboxyl group;
–COOH
catalyst a substance that alters the rate of a chemical reaction
without itself being permanently changed
cathode the electrode where reduction occurs
cathodic protection a method of corrosion prevention in
which the metal being protected is forced to become the
cathode of a cell, using either an impressed current or a sac-
rificial anode
cellulose a polysaccharide of glucose; produced by plants as
a structural material
central atom the atom or atoms in a molecule that has or
have the most bonding electrons; form the most bonds
chemical change a change in the chemical bonds between
atoms, resulting in the rearrangement of atoms into new
substances
chemical kinetics the area of chemistry that deals with
rates of reactions
chemical reaction equilibrium a dynamic equilibrium
between reactants and products of a chemical reaction in a
closed system
chemical system a set of reactants and products under
study, usually represented by a chemical equation
chiral able to exist in two forms that are mirror images of
each other
closed system a system that may exchange energy but not
matter with its surroundings
closed system one in which energy can move in or out, but
not matter
collision theory the theory that a reaction occurs between
two molecules if they collide at the correct orientation and
if the energy of the collision is sufficient to break the
chemical bonds within the molecules
combustion reaction the reaction of a substance with
oxygen, producing oxides and energy
common ion effect a reduction in the solubility of a salt
caused by the presence of another salt having a common
ion
NEL
Glossary
units are linked through condensation reactions; a small
molecule is formed as a byproduct
condensation reaction a reaction in which two molecules
combine to form a larger product, with the elimination of a
small molecule such as water or an alcohol
A
conjugate acid–base pair two substances whose formulas
differ only by one H unit
corrosion an electrochemical process in which a metal reacts
with substances in the environment, returning the metal to B
an ore-like state
coulomb (C) the SI unit for electric charge
covalent bond or nonpolar bond a bond in which the
bonding electrons are shared equally between atoms
C
covalent bonding the sharing of valence electrons between
atomic nuclei within a molecule or complex ion
covalent network a 3-D arrangement of covalent bonds D
between atoms that extends throughout the crystal
crystal lattice a regular, repeating pattern of atoms, ions, or
molecules in a crystal
Glossary
cyclic alcohol an alcohol that contains an alicyclic ring
cyclic hydrocarbon a hydrocarbon whose molecules have a
closed ring structure
D
dehydration reaction a reaction that results in the removal
of water
deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) a polynucleotide that car-
ries genetic information; the cellular instructions for
making proteins
dimer a molecule made up of two monomers
dipeptide two amino acids joined together with a peptide
bond
dipole–dipole force a force of attraction between polar
molecules
disaccharide a carbohydrate consisting of two
monosaccharides
dissolution the process of dissolving
double helix the coiled structure of two complementary,
antiparallel DNA chains
dynamic equilibrium a balance between forward and
reverse processes occurring at the same rate
E
electric cell a device that continuously converts chemical
energy into electrical energy
electric current the rate of flow of charge past a point
Glossary 821
electric potential difference (voltage) the potential
energy difference per unit charge
electrode a solid electrical conductor
electrolysis the process of supplying electrical energy to
force a nonspontaneous redox reaction to occur
electrolyte an aqueous electrical conductor
electrolytic cell a cell that consists of a combination of two
electrodes, an electrolyte, and an external battery or power
source
electron configuration a method for communicating the
location and number of electrons in electron energy levels;
e.g., Mg: 1s 2 2s 2 2p6 3s 2
electron probability density a mathematical or graphical
representation of the chance of finding an electron in a
given space
electroplating depositing a layer of metal onto another
object at the cathode of an electrolytic cell
electrorefining production of a pure metal at the cathode of
an electrolytic cell using impure metal at the anode
elementary step a step in a reaction mechanism that only
involves one-, two-, or three-particle collisions
elimination reaction a type of organic reaction that results
in the loss of a small molecule from a larger molecule; e.g.,
the removal of H2 from an alkane
endothermic absorbing thermal energy as heat flows into
the system
endpoint the point in a titration at which a sharp change in a
measurable and characteristic property occurs; e.g, a colour
change in an acid–base indicator
enthalpy change (H) the difference in enthalpies of reac-
tants and products during a change
entropy, S, a measure of the randomness or disorder of a
system, or the surroundings
enzyme a molecular substance (protein) in living cells that
controls the rate of a specific biochemical reaction
equilibrium constant, K the value obtained from the math-
ematical combination of equilibrium concentrations using
the equilibrium law expression
equilibrium law for any equilibrium, the ratio of the
product of the concentrations of the products, raised to the
power of their coefficients in the equilibrium equation, to
the product of the concentrations of the reactants, also
raised to the power of their coefficients in the equilibrium
equation, is a constant, K
equilibrium shift reaction of a system at equilibrium,
resulting in a change in the concentrations of reactants and
products
equivalence point the measured quantity of titrant
recorded at the point at which chemically equivalent
amounts have reacted
822 Glossary
ester an organic compound characterized by the presence of
a carbonyl group bonded to an oxygen atom
esterification a condensation reaction in which a carboxylic
acid and an alcohol combine to produce an ester and water
ether an organic compound with two alkyl groups (the same
or different) attached to an oxygen atom
exothermic releasing thermal energy as heat flows out of the
system
F
Faraday Constant the charge of one mole of electrons;
F  9.65  104 C/mol
Faraday’s law the mass of a substance formed or consumed
at an electrode is directly related to the charge transferred
fatty acid a long-chain carboxylic acid
first law of thermodynamics the total amount of energy in
the universe is constant. Energy can be neither created nor
destroyed, but can be transferred from one object or place
to another, or transformed from one form to another
forward reaction in an equilibrium equation, the left-to-
right reaction
fractional distillation the separation of components of
petroleum by distillation, using differences in boiling
points; also called fractionation
free energy (or Gibbs free energy) energy that is
available to do useful work
fuel cell an electric cell that produces electricity by a
continually supplied fuel
functional group a structural arrangement of atoms that,
because of their electronegativity and bonding type,
imparts particular characteristics to the molecule
G
galvanic cell an arrangement of two half-cells that can pro-
duce electricity spontaneously
glycogen a polysaccharide of glucose; produced by animals
for energy storage
half-cell an electrode and an electrolyte forming half of a
complete cell
H
half-life the time for half of the nuclei in a radioactive
sample to decay, or for half the amount of a reactant to be
used up (in a first-order reaction)
heat amount of energy transferred between substances
Heisenberg uncertainty principle it is impossible to
simultaneously know exact position and speed of a particle
NEL

Hess’s Law the value of the H for any reaction that can be
written in steps equals the sum of the values of H for each
of the individual steps
heterogeneous catalyst a catalyst in a reaction in which
the reactants and the catalyst are in different physical states
heterogeneous equilibria equilibria in which reactants and
products are in more than one phase
homogeneous catalyst a catalyst in a reaction in which
the reactants and the catalyst are in the same physical state
homogeneous equilibria equilibria in which all entities are
in the same phase
Hund’s rule one electron occupies each of several orbitals at
the same energy before a second electron can occupy the
same orbital
hybrid orbital an atomic orbital obtained by combining at
least two different orbitals
hybridization a theoretical process involving the combina-
tion of atomic orbitals to create a new set of orbitals that
take part in covalent bonding
hydration reaction a reaction that results in the addition of
a water molecule
hydrocarbon an organic compound that contains only
carbon and hydrogen atoms in its molecular structure
hydrogen bonding the attraction of hydrogen atoms
bonded to N, O, or F atoms to a lone pair of electrons of N,
O, or F atoms in adjacent molecules
hydrolysis a reaction in which a bond is broken by the addi-
tion of the components of water, with the formation of two
or more products
hydrolysis a reaction of an ion with water to produce an
acidic or basic solution (hydronium or hydroxide ions)
hydroxyl group an –OH functional group characteristic of
alcohols
I magnetic quantum number, ml, relates primarily to the
inert electrode a solid conductor that will not react with
any substances present in a cell (usually carbon or plat-
inum)
instantaneous rate of reaction the speed at which a reac-
tion is proceeding at a particular point in time
intermolecular force the force of attraction and repulsion
between molecules
ion product constant for water, Kw equilibrium constant
for the dissociation of water; 1.0  1014
ionic bond a bond in which the bonding pair of electrons is
mostly with one atom/ion
ionic bonding the electrostatic attraction between positive
and negative ions in the crystal lattice of a salt
NEL
Glossary
isoelectronic having the same number of electrons per
atom, ion, or molecule
isolated system an ideal system in which neither matter nor
energy can move in or out
isomer a compound with the same molecular formula as
another compound, but a different molecular structure A
isotope (AZ X) a variety of atoms of an element; atoms of this
variety have the same number of protons as all atoms of the
element, but a different number of neutrons
IUPAC International Union of Pure and Applied Chemistry; B
the organization that establishes the conventions used by
chemists
C
K
ketone an organic compound characterized by the presence
of a carbonyl group bonded to two carbon atoms
ketose a sugar molecule with a ketone functional group, D
usually at C 2
L
Glossary
lanthanides the 14 metals in each of periods 6 and 7 that
range in atomic number from 57–70 and 89–102, respec-
tively; the elements filling the f block
Le Châtelier’s principle when a chemical system at equilib-
rium is disturbed by a change in a property, the system
adjusts in a way that opposes the change
Lewis acid an electron-pair acceptor
Lewis base an electron-pair donor
London force the simultaneous attraction of an electron by
nuclei within a molecule and by nuclei in adjacent molecules
M
macromolecule a large molecule composed of several subunits
direction of the electron orbit. The number of values for ml
is the number of independent orientations of orbits that are
possible
Markovnikov’s rule When a hydrogen halide or water is
added to an alkene or alkyne, the hydrogen atom bonds to
the carbon atom within the double bond that already has
more hydrogen atoms. This rule may be remembered simply
as “the rich get richer.”
molar enthalpy of reaction, Hx the energy change associ-
ated with the reaction of one mole of a substance (also
called molar enthalpy change)
molar enthalpy, Hx the enthalpy change associated with a
physical, chemical, or nuclear change involving one mole of
a substance
Glossary 823
monomer a molecule of relatively low molar mass that is
linked with other similar molecules to form a polymer
monoprotic acid an acid that possesses only one ionizable
(acidic) proton
monosaccharide a carbohydrate consisting of a single sugar
unit
N percent reaction the yield of product measured at equilib-
neutron (10n or n) a neutral (uncharged) subatomic particle
present in the nucleus of atoms
nonpolar bond a nonpolar bond results from a zero differ-
ence in electronegativity between the bonded atoms; a cova-
lent bond with equal sharing of bonding electrons
nonpolar molecule a molecule that has either nonpolar
bonds or polar bonds whose bond dipoles cancel to zero
nuclear change a change in the protons or neutrons in an
atom, resulting in the formation of new atoms
nucleotide a monomer of DNA, consisting of a ribose sugar,
a phosphate group, and one of four possible nitrogenous
bases
O
open system one in which both matter and energy can
move in or out
orbital a region of space around the nucleus where an
electron is likely to be found
order of reaction the exponent value that describes the ini-
tial concentration dependence of a particular reactant
organic family a group of organic compounds with
common structural features that impart characteristic
physical properties and reactivity
organic halide a compound of carbon and hydrogen in
which one or more hydrogen atoms have been replaced by
halogen atoms
overall order of reaction the sum of the exponents in the
rate law equation
oxidation a process in which electrons are lost; an increase in
oxidation number
oxidation number a positive or negative number correspon-
ding to the apparent charge that an atom in a molecule or
ion would have if the electron pairs in covalent bonds
belonged entirely to the more electronegative atom
oxidation reaction a chemical transformation involving a
loss of electrons; historically used in organic chemistry to
describe any reaction involving the addition of oxygen
atoms or the loss of hydrogen atoms
oxidizing agent a substance that gains or removes electrons
from another substance in a redox reaction
824 Glossary
P
Pauli exclusion principle no two electrons in an atom can
have the same four quantum numbers; no two electrons in
the same atomic orbital can have the same spin; only two
electrons with opposite spins can occupy any one orbital
peptide bond the bond formed when the amine group of
one amino acid reacts with the acid group of the next
rium compared with the maximum possible yield of
product
pH meter a device used to measure pH; based on the electric
potential of a silver–silver chloride glass electrode and a sat-
urated calomel (dimercury(I) chloride) electrode
pH the negative of the logarithm to the base ten of the con-
centration of hydrogen (hydronium) ions in a solution
phase equilibrium a dynamic equilibrium between different
physical states of a pure substance in a closed system
photoelectric effect the release of electrons from a sub-
stance due to light striking the surface of a metal
photon a quantum of light energy
physical change a change in the form of a substance, in
which no chemical bonds are broken
pi () bond a bond created by the side-by-side (or parallel)
overlap of atomic orbitals, usually p orbitals
pKw pkw  log Kw
plastic a synthetic substance that can be moulded (often
under heat and pressure) and that then retains its given
shape
pleated-sheet conformation a folded sheetlike structure
held by intramolecular or intermolecular hydrogen bonding
between polymer chains
pOH a solution’s pOH may be used to calculate the hydroxide
ion concentration
polar bond a polar bond results from a difference in elec-
tronegativity between the bonding atoms; one end of the
bond is, at least partially, positive and the other end is
equally negative
polar covalent bond a bond in which electrons are shared
somewhat unequally
polar molecule a molecule that has polar bonds with
dipoles that do not cancel to zero
polyalcohol an alcohol that contains more than one
hydroxyl functional group
polyamide a polymer formed by condensation reactions
resulting in amide linkages between monomers
polyester a polymer formed by condensation reactions
resulting in ester linkages between monomers
NEL

polymer a molecule of large molar mass that consists of
many repeating subunits called monomers
polymerization the process of linking monomer units into a
polymer
polypeptide a polymer made up of amino acids joined
together with peptide bonds
polyprotic acid an acid with more than one ionizable
(acidic) proton
polysaccharide a polymer composed of monosaccharide
monomers
potential energy diagram a graphical representation of the
energy transferred during a physical or chemical change
primary alcohol an alcohol in which the hydroxyl functional
group is attached to a carbon which is itself attached to only
one other carbon atom
primary cell an electric cell that cannot be recharged
primary standard a chemical, available in a pure and stable
form, for which an accurate concentration can be prepared;
the solution is then used to determine precisely, by the
means of titrating, the concentration of a titrant
primary structure the sequence of the monomers in a
polymer chain; in polypeptides and proteins, it is the
sequence of amino acid subunits
principal quantum number n the principal quantum
number relates primarily to the main energy of an electron,
n  1, 2, 3, 4
proton (10 p or p) a positively charged subatomic particle
found in the nucleus of atoms
Q in the forward or reverse direction
quantitative reaction a reaction in which virtually all of the
limiting reagent is consumed
quantum a small discrete, indivisible quantity (plural,
quanta); a quantum of light energy is called a photon
quantum mechanics the current theory of atomic structure
based on wave properties of electrons; also known as wave
mechanics
quaternary structure Some proteins are complexes formed
from two or more protein subunits, joined by van der Waals
forces and hydrogen bonding between protein subunits. For
example, hemoglobin has four subunits held together in a
roughly tetrahedral arrangement.
R secondary alcohol an alcohol in which the hydroxyl func-
rate constant the proportionality constant in the rate law
equation
rate law equation the relationship among rate, the rate con-
stant, the initial concentrations of reactants, and the orders
NEL
Glossary
of reaction with respect to the reactants; also called rate
equation or rate law
rate of reaction the speed at which a chemical change
occurs, generally expressed as change in concentration per
unit time
rate-determining step the slowest step in a reaction mech-
anism
A
reaction intermediates molecules formed as short-lived
products in reaction mechanisms
reaction mechanism a series of elementary steps that B
makes up an overall reaction
reaction quotient, Q a test calculation using measured con-
centration values of a system in the equilibrium expression
redox spontaneity rule a spontaneous redox reaction
C
occurs only if the oxidizing agent (OA) is above the
reducing agent (RA) in a table of relative strengths of oxi-
dizing and reducing agents D
reducing agent a substance that loses or gives up electrons
to another substance in a redox reaction
reduction a process in which electrons are gained; a decrease
Glossary
in oxidation number
reference half-cell a half-cell arbitrarily assigned an elec-
trode potential of exactly zero volts; the standard hydrogen
half-cell
representative elements the metals and nonmetals in the
main blocks, Groups 1–2, 13–18, in the periodic table; in
other words, the s and p blocks
reverse reaction in an equilibrium equation, the right-to-
left reaction
reversible reaction a reaction that can achieve equilibrium
ribonucleic acid (RNA) a polynucleotide involved as an
intermediary in protein synthesis
S  0 at T  0 K
S
sample the solution being analyzed in a titration
saponification a reaction in which an ester is hydrolyzed
saponification: the reaction in which a triglyceride is
hydrolyzed by a strong base, forming a fatty acid salt; soap
making
second law of thermodynamics all changes either directly
or indirectly increase the entropy of the universe
tional group is attached to a carbon which is itself attached
to two other carbon atoms
secondary cell an electric cell that can be recharged
Glossary 825
secondary quantum number relates primarily to the shape
of the electron orbit. The number of values for l equals the
volume of the principal quantum number.
secondary structure the three-dimensional organization of
segments of a polymer chain, such as alpha-helices and
pleated-sheet structures
shell main energy level; the shell number is given by the prin-
cipal quantum number, n; for the representative elements,
the shell number also corresponds to the period number on
the periodic table for the s and p subshells
sigma () bond a bond created by the end-to-end overlap
of atomic orbitals
solubility equilibrium a dynamic equilibrium between a
solute and a solvent in a saturated solution in a closed
system
solubility product constant (Ksp ) the value obtained from
the equilibrium law applied to a saturated solution
solubility the concentration of a saturated solution of a
solute in a particular solvent at a particular temperature;
solubility is a specific maximum concentration
specific heat capacity quantity of heat required to raise
the temperature of a unit mass of a substance 1°C or 1K
spectroscopy a technique for analyzing spectra; the spectra
may be visible light, infrared, ultraviolet, X-ray, and other
types
spin quantum number, ms relates to a property of an elec-
tron that can best be described as its spin. The spin
quantum number can only be 1/2 or 1/2 for any elec-
tron
spontaneous reaction one that, given the necessary activa-
tion energy, proceeds without continuous outside assistance
standard cell a galvanic cell in which each half-cell contains
all entities shown in the half-reaction equation at SATP
conditions, with a concentration of 1.0 mol/L for the
aqueous entities
standard cell potential E° is the maximum electric
potential difference (voltage) of a cell operating under stan-
dard conditions
standard enthalpy of formation the quantity of energy
associated with the formation of one mole of a substance
from its elements in their standard states
standard entropy the entropy of one mole of a substance at
SATP; units (J/molK)
standard molar enthalpy of reaction, H °x the energy
change associated with the reaction of one mole of a sub-
stance at 100 kPa and a specified temperature (usually
25°C)
standard reduction potential Er° represents the ability of
a standard half-cell to attract electrons in a reduction half-
reaction
826 Glossary
starch a polysaccharide of glucose; produced by plants for
energy storage
stationary state a stable energy state of an atomic system
that does not involve any emission of radiation
strong acid an acid that is assumed to ionize quantitatively
(completely) in aqueous solution (percent ionization is
+99%)
strong base an ionic substance that (according to the
Arrhenius definition) dissociates completely in water to
release hydroxide ions
subshell orbitals of different shapes and energies, as given by
the secondary quantum number, l; the subshells are most
often referred to as s, p, d, and f
substitution reaction a reaction in which a hydrogen atom
is replaced by another atom or group of atoms; reaction of
alkanes or aromatics with halogens to produce organic
halides and hydrogen halides
supersaturated solution a solution whose solute concen-
tration exceeds the equilibrium concentration
surroundings all matter around the system that is capable of
absorbing or releasing thermal energy
T
temperature average kinetic energy of the particles in a
sample of matter
tertiary alcohol an alcohol in which the hydroxyl functional
group is attached to a carbon which is itself attached to
three other carbon atoms
tertiary structure a description of the three-dimensional
folding of the alpha-helices and pleated-sheet structures of
polypeptide chains
thermal energy energy available from a substance as a result
of the motion of its molecules
thermochemistry the study of the energy changes that
accompany physical or chemical changes in matter
third law of thermodynamics the entropy of a perfectly
ordered pure crystalline substance is zero at absolute zero
threshold energy the minimum kinetic energy required to
convert kinetic energy to activation energy during the
formation of the activated complex
titrant the solution in a buret during a titration
titration the precise addition of a solution in a buret into a
measured volume of a sample solution
transition elements the metals in Groups 3–12; elements
filling d orbitals with electrons
transition point the pH at which an indicator changes
colour
transition the jump of an electron from one stationary state
to another
NEL
 Glossary

trial ion product the reaction quotient applied to the ion VSEPR Valence Shell Electron Pair Repulsion; pairs of elec-
concentrations of a slightly soluble salt trons in the valence shell of an atom stay as far apart as pos-
triglyceride an ester of three fatty acids and a glycerol molecule sible to minimize the repulsion of their negative charges

V W
valence bond theory atomic orbitals or hybrid orbitals weak acid an acid that partially ionizes in solution but exists A
overlap to form a new orbital containing a pair of electrons primarily in the form of molecules
of opposite spin weak base a base that has a weak attraction for protons
volt (V) the SI unit for electric potential difference; weak electrolytes salts with relatively low solubility in B
1 V  1 J/C water

Glossary

NEL Glossary 827