Chemistry Part 4 – Vocabulary
Organic compounds – compounds containing carbon bonded to hydrogen that
are usually found in living systems. Examples: CH4 , C6H12O6
Inorganic compounds – compounds that do not contain carbon bonded to
hydrogen. Examples: HCl, MgO, CO2
The Law of Conservation of Mass – states that mass (matter) is neither created
nor destroyed in a closed system; it simply gets changed from one form to
another
Chemical reaction – the process in which one or more substances change into
one or more new substances. Example: hydrogen gas and chlorine gas
chemically combine to form hydrochloric acid
Chemical equation – a shorthand description of a chemical reactions using
chemical formulas and symbols. Example: 2Na + Cl2
2NaCl
2Na + Cl2
2NaCl
Reactants – the starting materials in a chemical reaction. In the chemical
equation above, 2Na & Cl2 are the reactants.
Products – the substances formed from a chemical reaction. In the chemical
equation above, 2NaCl is the product.