IGCSE Chemistry Definitions LEARN THESE!

Melting - Solid changing into a liquid

Freezing - Liquid changing into a solid
Conens!tion - Gas/vapour changing into a liquid
E"!#or!tion - Liquid changing into a gas/vapour
Melting $oint - Temperature at which a solid turns into a liquid
Freezing $oint - Temperature at which a liquid changes into a solid
%oiling $oint - Temperature at which a liquid changes into a vapour at
atmospheric pressure
Diff&sion - The random movement of particles from an area of a high
concentration to an area of low concentration
Filtr!tion - Separating an insoluble solid from a liquid
Filtr!te - is fluid that has passed through a filter.
Sol&te - the material that dissolves in a solvent to form a solution.
Sol&tion - the mixture formed when a solute dissolves in a solvent.
Sol"ent - the liquid in which the solute dissolves to form a solution.
Fr!'tion!l Distill!tion - Separating liquids of different boiling points by
evaporation and condensing
G!l"!niz!tion The coating of iron by zin' to protect from rusting. type
of s!'rifi'i!l #rote'tion.
Atomi' n&m(er/!roton number- The number of protons in an atom
Atom - The smallest unit of an element" having all the characteristics of
that element
M!ss n&m(er)N&'leon n&m(er - The sum of the protons and neutrons
N&'le&s - The centre of the atom which contains protons and neutrons
Isoto#e - toms of the same element with the same atomic number and
different number of neutrons
Element - #ade of only one type of atom
Com#o&n - #ade of two or more different atoms chemically $oined
together
Mi*t&re - #ade of two or more different components which are not
chemically $oined together
Gro&# - The columns in the !eriodic Table. The Group %umber equals the
number of electrons in the outer shell
$erio - The rows of the !eriodic Table. The !eriod %umber equals the
number of shells used by the electrons of the atom.
Ioni' %oning - Transfer of electrons so as to achieve a full outer shell of
electrons. This results in the formation of ions.
Co"!lent %oning - Sharing of an electron pair between atoms. This
results in the formation of a simple covalent molecule or a giant covalent
structure.
Ion - charged particle resulting from ionic bonding. The number of
electrons are not equal to the number of protons.
Mole'&le - particle formed from covalent bonding which is neutral.
R!te +f Re!'tion - &hange in product or reactant concentration
per unit time. The more frequent the collision of particles the greater the
rate of reaction.
C!t!lyst - Substance which increases the rate of reaction without
chemically being changed. 't lowers the activation energy of the reaction.
Enzyme - biological catalyst e.g. mylase
Rel!ti"e Form&l! M!ss - The sum of the atomic masses of elements in a
compound. The formula mass expressed in grams.
Mole - (ne mole of a substance contains the same number of
molecules/atoms as in )* grams of carbon-)*. This number +of atoms or
molecules, is -nown as the vogadro constant +%

, which is equal to ../* x

)/
*0

E*othermi' Re!'tion - reaction which gives out heat +12 is negative,
Enothermi' Re!'tion - reaction which ta-es in heat +12 is positive,.
#H - scale of / 3 )4 which identifies solution as acidic" neutral or al-aline.
%!se - substance with a p2 higher than 5" they react with acids to form a
salt and water +called neutrali6ation,. #etal hydroxides" oxides and
carbonates are all bases.
A'i - They have a p2 less than 5 and neutrali6e bases or
al-alis to form salt and water. cidity is caused by a high concentration of
hydrogen ions.
Al,!li - They have a p2 greater than 5 and neutrali6e acids to
form salt and water. They have a high concentration of hydroxyl ions +(2
-
,.
They are soluble bases.
Ne&tr!liz!tion - reaction where acids react to form salts and water.
2
7
7 (2
-
8 2
*
(
Com(&stion - reaction where a substance burns in oxygen combining to
form the oxide and giving out energy.
Dis#l!'ement - reaction where a more reactive element displaces a
less reactive element from a solution of its compound.
Therm!l De'om#osition - reaction where a compound is bro-en down
into simpler substances using heat e.g.
#etal carbonates 8 #etal (xide 7 &arbon 9ioxide
+*i!tion - reaction where oxygen is added to a substance e.g.
&opper 7 (xygen 8 &opper (xide
(xidation also means a loss of electrons.
Re&'tion - reaction where oxygen is removed from a substance.
:eduction also means a gain in electrons.
Ele'trolysis - is the brea--down of a substance or solution by electricity
Ele'trolyte - a molten or aqueous solution through which an electrical
current can flow.
Anoe - The positive terminal +electrode,.
C!thoe - The negative terminal +electrode,
Anion 3 negative ion +attracted to the anode,
C!tion 3 !ositive ion +metal, attracted to the cathode.
Re"ersi(le Re!'tion - reaction where reactants change to products
which can then change bac- to reactants.
Dyn!mi' e.&ili(ri&m 3 The state of a reversible reaction when the rate of
the forward reaction is equal to the rate of the bac-ward reaction.
Fertilizers - &hemical compounds +e.g. mmonium compounds,
which are added to soil to increase the quantity and quality of crops.
E&tro#hi'!tion - !rocess where la-es and rivers which are rich in
nutrients due to leaching of fertili6ers" encourages the growth of plant life
which is decomposed by bacteria using oxygen in the water.
Cr&e +il - mixture of hydrocarbons formed from the remains
of dead sea life which was covered with silt on the sea bed and
compressed over millions of years
Fossil F&el - substance formed from the dead remains of plants
or animals which will burn in air e.g. &oal" natural gas
Hyro'!r(on - substance which contains carbon and hydrogen
atoms only.
Cr!',ing - !rocess where long chain hydrocarbons of little value
are bro-en down by heat and a catalyst into smaller" more useful
hydrocarbons
S!t&r!te - hydrocarbon which only has single covalent bonds
between all atoms.
/ns!t&r!te - hydrocarbon which has at least one double bond
between two neighbouring carbon atoms.
Al,!ne - saturated hydrocarbon e.g. &2
4
3 methane
Al,ene - n unsaturated hydrocarbon e.g. &
*
2
4
3 ethene
Aition $olymeriz!tion - reaction where many small al-ene molecules
+monomers, $oin up to form a long chain molecule of repeating units
+#olymer,.
Conens!tion $olymeriz!tion - reaction where different monomers $oin
up to form a long chain molecule of repeating units +polymer, whilst also
producing smaller molecules.
Homologo&s Series - a group of molecules with similar physical and
chemical properties" the same general formula and the same functional
group +albeit with trends e.g. increasing boiling point with increasing carbon
chain length,