Chemistry Part 3 Vocabulary
Compound – 2 or more different elements that are chemically combined in a fixed ratio.
Examples: C6H12O6, HCl, H2SO4
Chemical formula – a shorthand way of writing a compound using chemical symbols and numbers.
Example: H2O (chemical formula for water)
Coefficient - a number placed in front of a chemical symbol or formula. Example: 3HF
Subscript – a number written below and to the right of a chemical symbol in a chemical formula.
Example: H2O
Halogens – the elements in group 7 (when just counting the tall columns on the periodic table). They
are very reactive nonmetals, and their atoms have 7 electrons in their outer level.
Chemical bonding – the joining of atoms to form new substances.
Ionic bond – the force of attraction between oppositely charged atoms. This type of bond usually forms
between metals and nonmetals.
Ion – charged particles that form during chemical changes when one or more valence electrons transfer
from one atom to another.
Covalent bond – bonding that occurs when nonmetals share their valence electrons.