Basic Chemistry Notes
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Atoms are the __basic unit______ of matter and life.
Atoms have ____3______ parts: __Protons_____, __Neutrons___, ___Electrons______
Elements are __pure____ substances made up of ___one__ type of atom. Matter is anything that has
___mass___ and takes up __space____. Matter is made up of ___elements___. Elements are represented by
____1 or 2_____ letter symbols.
Compounds are substances formed by the __chemical__ combination of ___2 or more____ elements.
Ionic bonds are __1 or more___ electrons __transferred___ from one atom to another.
Covalent bonds are electrons __shared___ by atoms.
Properties of Water Notes
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Water molecules are ___polar___ because there is an uneven distribution of ___electrons____ in the covalent
bonds between the oxygen and hydrogen atoms.
Oxygen is a more ___electronegative____ atom compared to hydrogen, so the electrons on the hydrogen atoms
are pulled more towards the oxygen atom.
As a result, the oxygen end of the molecule has a slight __negative_____ charge and the hydrogen end has a
slight ___positive____ charge.
Due to the polarity in water molecules, they form ___hydrogen bonds___ to other water molecules and other
stuff.
A single water molecule may be involved in as many as ____4_______ hydrogen bonds at a time.
Water’s ability to form multiple hydrogen bonds is responsible for many of its __properties___.
Properties of Water
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_____Cohesion________________
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_________Solvent______________
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_______Adhesion______________
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____Specific Heat Capacity_______
Adhesion
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____Adhesion____________ is an attraction between molecules of different substances.
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Adhesion causes ____capillary action______ allowing water to rise in a narrow tube against the force of gravity.
Cohesion
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__Cohesion______________ is an attraction between molecules of the same substance.
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Water's cohesion causes molecules on the surface of water to be drawn inward creating ___surface
tension_____________.
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This is why drops of water form __beads_____ on a smooth surface and why some ______insects___ can walk
on a pond's surface.
Other Properties of Water
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High-specific heat: __The ability to raise the temperature of 1 gram of water by 1 Celsius__________
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High heat of vaporization: __The amount of energy to turn water in to a gas___________________
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The lower density of ice: ___the molecules of ice are farther apart because of the crystal structure____
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Universal solvent: __Water can dissolve most stuff but no everything _________
Carbon and Other Elements
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Carbon is one of the most ___important____ element of life. This is because ____complex___ molecules
can be simply __formed__ by carbon and its ability to form ___4 covalent_____ bonds.
_Hydrocarbons___ are long carbon chains with __hydrogen__ attached and are the ___basis_ for all
macromolecules.
Nitrogen is important for __Nucleic Acids____ and ___Proteins_____.
Phosphorus is important for __Phospholipids____, ___Nucleic Acids_____, and ___Energy______.
All __matter_____ must come from somewhere as it cannot be _created__ or _destroyed____. Living things
try to increase their _surface area___ to ____volume____ ratio to try and absorb as much matter as
possible.