Portfolio Project:
Part one: Chemistry Concept Base Questions by Topic
Answer these questions in at LEAST 3 sentences. Then save this document under a new name
and email it to me. brian.gallagher@rcsdk12.org
Topic 1 States of Matter, Mixtures, and Pure Substances
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What criteria can we use to identify a substance as pure?
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How can you account for the millions of known pure substances forming from less than 100
known elements?
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How are elements different from atoms?
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How are elements different from compounds?
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What criteria must a sample meet for a chemist to consider it a mixture?
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What is the difference between a homogeneous and heterogeneous mixture?
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What are some ways to separate mixtures into their component pure substances?
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How are solids, liquid and gas phases different from each other?
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When a pot of water reaches the boiling point, why won’t the temperature of the water
increase above 100°C?
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What form of energy increases when heat is added to a sample but the temperature does not
change?
Topic Two: Atomic Concepts
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How does the atomic model change from ancient Greece to modern times?
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What causes revisions in the atomic model? Give an example.
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How is the most current model of the atom (wave-mechanical) different from the Bohr model of
the atom?
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How are charges distributed in an atom?
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What is the nucleus of an atom and what does it contain?
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If both protons and electrons have charges, then why are atoms neutral?
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How do the locations, masses, and charges vary for protons, neutrons, and electrons?
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What does it mean for an electron to “jump to an excited state”? How does this occur?
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How does an electron return to its ground state?
Topic Three: Periodic Table
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How are the elements on the periodic table organized?
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Where are the different types of elements found on the periodic table?
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What do all the elements in the same period have in common?
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What characteristic identifies an atom as a particular element?
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How are isotopes of an element the same? How are they different?
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What kind of shorthand notations do chemists use to write isotopes of atoms?
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How do properties of metals, nonmetals, metalloids, and noble gases differ?
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Most of the elements on the period table are found in what state of matter?
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What do chemists mean when they say one type of atom can form several allotropes?
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What is a ratio?
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Why does the number of valence electrons effect the combining ratio of an element?
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What do all of the elements in a group have in common?
TOPIC 4 CHEMICAL FORMULAS & EQUATIONS
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What is the basic difference between compounds and elements?
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Why do various amounts of the same compound always have the same ratio of elements?
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Why can compounds be broken down by chemical means, but atoms cannot?
Why do chemists use a universal system to name compounds?
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What information does the chemical formula of a compound give?
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What information does a molecular formula contain?
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What kind of information does a structural formula provide?
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How are empirical formulas and molecular formulas related?
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How do you determine whether or not an equation is balanced or unbalanced?
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During a chemical reaction that gives off or absorbs energy, what happens to the total mass of
the chemicals?
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How do chemists use the mole ratios in chemical equations to predict the number of moles of
product that will be produced?
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Why do chemists use names for several different classes of reactions, like decomposition,
synthesis, etc?
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What is a mole?
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Why do moles of different substances have different masses?
TOPIC 5 CHEMICAL BONDING
How are ionic and covalent compounds different?
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How you predict the bond type between atoms?
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Are there any compounds that contain both covalent and ionic bonds?
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How are bonds formed between two atoms?
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What type of bonding occurs in an oxygen molecule?
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Why do atoms form bonds?
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Why aren’t noble gases commonly found in compounds?
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Are atoms more stable by themselves or as part of a compound?
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How can you tell if a molecular compound is polar or nonpolar?
TOPIC 6 Solutions & Energy
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Why is water often called the “universal solvent”?
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How do soap and detergents work?
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Why will some substances that do not dissolve in water dissolve in other solvents like alcohol?
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Why do crystals of sugar fall out of solution when a saturated sugar solution heated to 80oC is
cooled to room temperature?
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Why are frozen juices called “concentrates”?
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What happens to the snow when roads are salted in the winter?
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When a chemical reaction releases energy, what forms of energy can be observed?
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When you place your hand into a snow bank, which way does energy flow?
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Why do scientists use different temperature scales to measure the amount of thermal energy
within a system?
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How is temperature related to particle speed?
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Why do many people mistakenly think a chemical change has occurred when salt dissolves in
water?
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How is a chemical change different from a physical change?
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Can a chemical reaction cause the chemicals in the reaction to get colder?
TOPIC 7 KINETICS / EQUILIBRIUM
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What must happen during a collision for two particles to react?
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What factors determine the speed of a chemical reaction?
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If you were asked to assemble a jigsaw puzzle, what things would you need to know to estimate
the time it would take to finish the puzzle?
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What factors determine the speed of a chemical reaction?
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If you were asked to assemble a jigsaw puzzle, what things would you need to know to estimate
the time it would take to finish the puzzle?
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What is implied if something is in a state equilibrium?
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How is the average daily school attendance an example of dynamic equilibrium?
(The total number of students absent day to day is constant, and the number of students present is
greater than the number absent.)
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How does the energy of the reactants compare to the energy of the products in an exothermic
reaction?
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How could this energy change be shown in a diagram?
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As the potential energy of a rollercoaster car drops, what can you say about the speed of the
rollercoaster?
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Can a chemical reaction make things cold?
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What is entropy?
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When you see a video of a shattered coffee cup jumping to the top of a table and forming an
unbroken cup, why do you know you are looking at a video in rewind?
TOPIC 8 ORGANIC CHEMISTRY
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Why are carbon atoms, in particular, able to form a wide variety of chains and connections?
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What do chemists place so much importance on carbon compounds?
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Why is it important to have a standard system to name organic compounds?
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How are saturated compounds different from unsaturated compounds?
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Why do chemists group certain organic compounds into families such as alcohols, esters,
halides, etc?
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Why does changing the type or arrangement of a few atoms change the chemical properties of a
molecule?
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How would the properties of a compound change if the order or arrangement of atoms in the
compound was changed?
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How are organic compounds made?
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Why do we have so many different types of organic compounds?
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Why are there so many new organic compounds created every year?
TOPIC 9 OXIDATION – REDUCTION
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Why are electrons more likely than protons to be transferred between reactants during a
chemical reaction?
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How is the transfer of electrons in a chemical reaction related to current electricity?
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Why does iron change to rust in the presence of oxygen?
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Why does every redox reaction require an electron donor and electron receiver?
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How can you tell if oxidation and reduction have occurred?
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What is an electrode?
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What process always occurs at the anode in an electrochemical cell?
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Do batteries generate electrical energy or consume electrical energy?
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How do jewelers make gold-plated jewelry?
TOPIC 10 ACIDS & BASES
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What is a simple test that a chemist may use to determine if a solution is acidic or basic?
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How is the pH scale used to distinguish acids from bases?
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Why are acids and bases often studied together?
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How does the conductivity of water change when an Arrhenius acid or base is added to it?
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What criteria must be met for a chemist to consider a substance as an Arrhenius acid?
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What properties are common to all Arrhenius acids?
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What criteria must be met for a chemist to consider a substance as an Arrhenius base?
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What properties are common to all Arrhenius bases?
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How does an antacid tablet help to treat acid reflux or heartburn?
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What happens when an acid is mixed with a base?
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How do chemists use standard solutions to quickly determine the amount of acid or base in an
unknown sample?
TOPIC 11 NUCLEAR CHEMISTRY
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Does every element have a half-life?
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Is there an element that lasts forever?
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Is it possible to convert an element into another element?
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Is it possible to change lead into gold?
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How are beta particles, alpha particles, and gamma radiation different?
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What type of reaction occurs in a nuclear power plant?
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Can humans cause one (non-radioactive) nucleus to change into a different nucleus?
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Are fission reactions worth the risk?
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Why does a nuclear reaction produce so much energy?
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Why do you have to wear a heavy (lead) cape when you have a dental x-ray taken?
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How are radioisotopes used to benefit our lives?