Descriptionary

chromatography originally named for the process of separating pigments, now encompassing the separa­tion of any mixture, specifically by passing it through another material, with some components naturally sticking to the material better than others.

cleavage the breaking up of chemical bonds into smaller molecules.

closed chain in a molecule, a string of atoms that forms a loop or ring.

colloid a mixture that appears homogeneous but contains components that have incompletely dissolved. Aerosols, foams, and emulsions are all colloids.

compound any mixture of two or more elements.

concentration an increase in density or strength, achieved by removing water, impurities, or other sub­stances. Also, the volume of a substance within a mixture of others.

condensation the changing of a gas into a liquid.

conductor any material that allows an electrical current to pass through it.

decompensation reaction the breaking down of large molecules into smaller ones.

deposition the process through which a gas turns into a solid without forming into a liquid first.

dilution the thinning of a concentrated liquid by adding another liquid or a solvent.

distill to separate components in a mixture by heat­ing them.

electrochemistry a branch of chemistry involving the study of chemical reactions with voltage applied, or the creation of voltage throughout chemical reac­tions themselves.

electrolysis forcing an electrical current through a cell to produce an electrochemical reaction.

electrolyte any compound that when dissolved in water can conduct electricity.

element any pure substance that cannot be broken down into any other component elements.

emulsion any blend of two liquids that cannot be mixed, such as oil and water, and will eventually separate.

equilibrium in a chemical substance, a state of sta­bility, when no further reactions or changes can take place.

exothermic referring to any reaction that creates heat.

extraction the separation of compounds in a mix­ture by the addition of a solvent and then subjecting it to shaking.

formula the constituent elements in a molecular com­pound, written out as a set of symbols and numbers.

half-life the amount of time it takes to break down half of a chemical component or to convert it into another product.

heterogeneous referring to a mixture with two or more separate components that are unevenly mixed.

homogeneous referring to any mixture that has been thoroughly blended and has a uniform composition.

imbibition the absorbing of a liquid by a solid.

immiscible incapable of being mixed or blended, as oil and water.

inert tending to be chemically nonreactive or inactive.

inhibitor any chemical or chemical compound used to slow or stop a reaction.

insulator any material through which electricity is unable to flow.

intermediate any chemical that is temporarily cre­ated by a chain reaction and then consumed by that reaction.

kinetics the study of chemical reaction rates.

mass spectrometry the process in which an ionized sample is passed through electric and magnetic fields to determine molecular formulas in a substance.

molarity the number of moles in a dissolved solu­tion, a measure of concentration.

molar mass the weight of one mole of a given compound.

mole a unit of mass equaling 602 billion trillion atoms or molecules, or 6.02 x 10²³. Also known as Avogadro's number.

molecule a group of bound atoms.

monomer a small or simple molecule that may bond with other monomers to form a polymer. Amino acids are monomers that bond with others to form proteins.

orbital the space around the nucleus of an atom where electrons can be found.

osmosis the passing or diffusion of molecules of liquid solvent through a semipermeable membrane, from an area of high concentration to an area of lower concentration.

parts per million a measure of a very small amount of a substance within a much larger volume of another substance, for example one drop of food coloring to a million drops of water.

periodic table a table listing the elements with their symbols, arranged by order of their atomic numbers and structure.

pH a measure of how acidic or alkaline a substance is.

phase the physical state of matter, either a gas, liq­uid, or solid.

poisoned of a chemical reaction, slowed, stopped, or corrupted by an inhibitor.

polymer a large molecule made up of a chain of monomers. Plastic is a polymer.

precipitate a particle or particles of matter that becomes separated from a solution.

product the substance that is created after all chem­ical reactions have ceased.

reactant see reagent.