CHEMISTRY DEFINITION LIST

ATOMS, MOLECULES & STOICHIOMETRY

Isotopes Atoms of the same element with the same atomic number but
different mass numbers.

Relative Atomic Mass (Ar) - The relative atomic mass of an element from a
specified source is the ratio of the average mass per atom of the element to
1/12 of the mass of an atom of 12C

Relative Isotopic Mass The relative isotopic mass of an isotope of an element

is the ratio of the mass of one atom of isotope of the element to 1/12 of the
mass of an atom of 12C

Relative Molecular Mass (Mr) The relative molecular mass of molecules in a

substance is the ratio of the average mass per molecule of the substance to
1/12 of the mass of an atom of 12C

Relative Formula Mass (Mr) The relative formula mass of a formula unit of an
ionic compound is the ratio of the average mass per formula unit to 1/12 of
the mass of an atom of 12C

Mole A mole of substance is the amount of that substance which contains as

many elementary entities as there are carbon atoms in 12g of carbon-12
(6.02x1023 atoms)

Empirical Formula The simplest whole number ratio for the atoms of different
elements in the compound

Molecular Formula The actual number of atoms of the different elements in

the compound

THE GASEOUS STATE

Basic assumptions of the kinetic theory of ideal gases:
1) Gases consist of small particles of negligible volumes. The particles are widely
separated and can move anywhere in the container.
2) The gas particles exert no attractive forces on each other.
Conditions necessary for gas to approach ideality:
1) At low pressure, the volume of gas particles of a real gas becomes negligible
as compared to the volume occupied by the gas
2) At high temperature, the gas particles are able to overcome most of the
intermolecular forces of attraction.

CHEMICAL ENERGETICS
1.

Standard enthalpy change of formation of a substance is the energy change

when one mole of the substance is formed from its constituent elements at
298K and 1 atm.

2.

Standard enthalpy change of combustion of a substance is the energy

released when one mole of the substance is completely burnt in excess
oxygen at 298K and 1 atm.

3.

Standard enthalpy change of neutralization is the energy released when an

acid and base react to form one mole of water at 298K and 1 atm.

4.

Standard enthalpy change of atomization of an element is the energy

absorbed to form one mole of gaseous atoms from the element in its standard
state at 298K and 1 atm.

5.

Bond Dissociation Energy of an X-Y bond is the energy required to break 1

mole of that particular X-Y bond in a particular compound in gaseous state.

6.

The bond energy (BE) of an X-Y bond is the average energy absorbed when 1
mole of X-Y bonds are broken in gaseous state. The stronger the bond, the
higher the bond energy.

7.

First ionization energy of an element is the energy absorbed when 1 mole of

gaseous atoms lose 1 mole of electrons to give 1 mole of singly-charged
positive gaseous ions.

8.

Second ionization energy of an element is the energy absorbed when 1 mole

of singly-charged gaseous positive ions lose 1 mole of electrons to give 1 mole
of doubly-charge positive gaseous ions.

9.

First electron affinity of an element is the energy change when 1 mole of

gaseous atoms acquire 1 mole of electrons to give 1 mole of singly charged
negative gaseous ions.

10. Second electron affinity of an element is the energy absorbed when 1 mole of
singly charged negative gaseous ions acquire 1 mole of electrons to give 1
mole of doubly charged negative gaseous ions.
11. Lattice energy of an ionic compound is the energy released when one mole of
the solid ionic compound is formed from its constituent gaseous ions at 298K
and 1 atm.
12. Standard enthalpy change of hydration of an ion is the energy released when
one mole of gaseous ions is hydrated at 298K and 1 atm.
13. Standard enthalpy change of solution of a substance is the energy change
when one mole of the substance is completely dissolved in a solvent to form
an infinitely dilute solution at 298K and 1 atm.

REACTION KINETICS

Rate of reaction The change in concentration of a reactant or product with

time. i.e. rate at a given time t = -

Rate equation The rate equation or rate law is a mathematical equation that
shows how the rate of reaction is dependent on the concentrations of the
reactants; it relates the rate of reaction to the concentration of reactants
raised to the appropriate power. E.g. rate = k[A]m[B]n.

Order of reaction
o

The order of reaction with respect to a reactant is the power to which

the concentration of that reactant is raised to in the rate equation

The overall order of reaction is the sum of the powers to which the
concentrations of the reactants are raised to in the rate equation.

Rate constant The rate constant, k is a proportionality constant in the rate

equation of the reaction.

Half-life of a reaction The time required for the concentration of a limiting

reactant to decrease to half of its initial concentration.

Rate-determining step The slowest step in the sequence of steps leading to

the formation of the product

Activation energy, Ea Ea is the minimum amount of energy that the reactant

particles must possess before they can collide successfully to form products.

Catalysis A catalyst is a substance which increases the rate of a chemical

reaction without itself undergoing any permanent chemical change. It is
regenerated at the end of the reaction.

CHEMICAL EQUILIBRIA

Static Equilibrium Static Equilibrium is a state in which there is no change in

both macroscopic and microscopic properties in a system.

Dynamic Equilibrium Dynamic Equilibrium refers to a reversible reaction in

which the rates of the forward and backward reactions are equal and non-zero
and there is no change in the concentrations of the reactants and products.

Le Chateliers Principle If a system in equilibrium is subjected to a change

which disturbs the equilibrium, the system responds in such a way as to
counteract the effect of the change.

Apparent Molecular Mass Apparent molecular mass is the weighted average

of the relative molecular masses of all the gases present at equilibrium

IONIC EQUILIBRIA

pH pH is the negative logarithm (to base 10) of the hydrogen ion

concentration of the solution, pH = -lg[H3O+]

pOH pOH is the negative logarithm (to base 10) of the hydroxide ion
concentration of the solution, pOH = -lg[OH-]

Kw The ionic product of water. It has units of mol2 dm-6

Ka Acid dissociation constant, K a, is a measure of the strength of the acid. It

is unaffected by concentration changes but is affected only by temperature
changes.

pKa pKa is the negative logarithm (to base 10) of the acid dissociation
constant, Ka.

Kb Base dissociation constant, K b, is a measure of the strength of the base. It

is unaffected by concentration changes but is affected only by temperature
changes.

pKb pKb is the negative logarithm (to base 10) of the base dissociation
constant, Kb.

Strong acid Strong acid is one which undergoes complete dissociation in

aqueous solution to give H+ ions, eg. HCl

Strong base Strong base is one which undergoes complete dissociation in

aqueous solution to give OH- ions, eg. NaOH

Weak acid Weak acid is one that is partially dissociated in solution to give H +
ions, eg. CH3COOH

Weak base Weak base is one that is partially dissociated in solution to give
OH- ions, eg. NH3

Bronsted-Lowry theory of acids and bases states that an acid is a proton donor
and a base is a proton acceptor.

Buffer solution A buffer solution is either a mixture of a large reservoir of

weak acid and its conjugate base or a mixture of a large reservoir of weak
base and its conjugate acid, which is able to resist a change in pH (i.e.
maintain almost constant pH) upon the addition of a small amount of acid or
base.

ELECTROCHEMISTRY

Standard Electrode (reduction) Potential (E) The standard electrode

potential of a half-cell is the electromotive force, measured at 298K and 1

atm, between the half-cell and the standard hydrogen electrode, in which the
reacting species are at molar concentrations.

Standard Cell Potential (E cell) Standard cell potential, E cell, is the potential
difference between 2 half-cells under standard conditions.

NITROGEN COMPOUNDS (II)

Peptide bond refers to the bond formed when two amino acids join together. It
is formed between COO- group of one amino acid and the NH3+ group of the
other.

Primary structure refers to the sequence of amino acids in a polypeptide

chain(s)

Secondary structure refers to the way in which segments of the peptide

backbone orientate into a regular pattern through hydrogen bonds.

Tertiary structure refers to the 3D arrangement due to the folding of

secondary structural elements together with the spatial disposition of the side
chains. Folding is due to R group interactions.

Quaternary structure refers to the spatial arrangement and association of

polypeptide subunits.

Denaturation of proteins refers to the disruptions of the non-covalent

interactions (but including disulfide links) that hold the tertiary structure.

[For more read the summary behind the nitro compounds (II)]