Chemistry Glossary

Word Definition
adhesion the force or attraction that holds two separate
objects together.
alloy a mixture of metals
anion an ion with a negative charge.
atom The smallest particle of an element.
atomic the total number of protons and neutrons in an
mass/w atom.
eight
atomic the number of protons in the nucleus of an
number atom as well as the number of electrons
in a neutral atom.
boiling point temperature at which a liquid changes to a gas.
brittleness the property of matter that is how easily the
substance breaks or shatters when force
is applied to it.
catalyst a substance that helps along a chemical
reaction or change without being
changed itself.
cation an ion with a positive charge.
chemical the process by which atoms combine to form
bonds molecules.
chemistry The science of matter and the changes in
matter.
cohesion the attraction that holds together the molecules
within one substance.
colloid a mixture in which the substance is split into
tiny particles and spread within a second
substance.Examples include smoke and
fog.
compound a substance made up of two or more elements
that are combined chemically.
concentration the amount of a solvent compared to the solute
in a solution.
contract to become smaller, closer together
density thickness of a substance
diffusion when a substance spreads out within another
substance as when a solute spreads out
 within a solvent in a solution, sometimes
unevenly.
dissociation separation of a substance into atoms or ions.
ductility property of a metal in which it can be stretched
without breaking.
elasticity the ability of a substance to be stretched and
then to return to its original shape.
electricity a form of energy coming from charges.
electron a particle of the atom that has a negative
charge. The electron is not a part of the
nucleus, but moves around in an orbit
around the nucleus.
element a substance made of one kind of atom that
cannot be broken down chemically.
endothermic When heat is given off curing a chemical
reaction reaction.
energy the ability to do work or make change.
evaporation changing of a liquid to a vapor at any
temperature below its boiling point.
exothermic When heat is absorbed during a chemical
reaction reaction.
formula tells what chemicals a compound is made up of
hardness property of matter that determines how easily
the substance can be scratched.
heat a form of energy marked by differences in
temperatures
inorganic the study of chemical elements and
chemist compounds except for carbon.
ry
ion an atom or group of atoms that have a net
electrical charge
isotope atoms with the same number of protons, but
different numbers of neutrons.
light visible electromagnetic radiation
liquie a state of matter that has a definite size or
volume but not a definite shape.
malleability the property of a metal that allows it to be
hammered, rolled, pressed or forged.
melting point the temperature at which a substance changes
from a solid to a liquid.
mixture several substances put together that can be
easily separated by physical means.
molecule the smallest particle of a substance that still is
that substance.
nucleus the center of the atom consisting of the proton
and neutron.
neutron a particle in the center of the atom with no
charge.
organic the study of the compounds of carbon.
chemist
ry
periodic table A chart of all the elements arranged by atomic
number.
periodic table chart of the elements arranged in columns and
rows according to the increasing atomic
numbers.
property a characteristic of matter such as color,
density, brittleness, etc..
proton a particle in the center of the atom that has a
positive charge.
radioactivity the breakdown or decay of the nucleus of an
atom by by the emission or giving off of
particles.
solution a mixture of two or more in which two or more
materials are dissolved in another
material.
sound a disturbance that travels through air, land,
water that can be heard.
sublimation the changing of a gas directly to a solid.
suspension similar to a solution, but the particles within the
suspension can be seen by the naked
eye.
temperature measure of how warm or cold a substance is.
tensile the resistance of a substance to any force used
strength to tear it apart.