| Term | Definition |
|---|
| Atom | Smallest particle of an element, having all the characteristics of that element; the basic building block of matter, consisting of protons, neutrons, and electrons |
| Change of state | A physical change that occurs when matter changes to another state (i.e., liquid, gas, or solid). |
| Chemical | Any substance that has a definite composition. |
| Chemical change | A process involving one or more substances changing into new substances; also called a chemical reaction. |
| Chemical property | The ability or inability of a substance to combine with or change into one or more new substances. |
| Chemical reaction | The process by which the atoms of one or more substances are rearranged to form different substances. |
| Chemistry | The scientific study of the composition, structure, and properties of matter and the changes that matter undergoes. |
| Compound | Substance composed of atoms of two or more different elements that are chemically combined. |
| Element | A pure substance that cannot be broken down into simpler substances by physical or chemical means. |
| Extensive property | A property that depends on the extent or size of a system. |
| Gas | A form of matter that flows to conform to the shape of its container, fills the container's entire volume, and is easily compressed; indefinite shape, indefinite volume. |
| Group | A vertical column of elements on the periodic table that share chemical properties; also called a family. |
| Intensive property | A property that does not depend on the amount of matter present, such as pressure, temperature, or density. |
| Liquid | The state of matter that has a definite volume but not a definite shape. |
| Mass | A measure of the amount of matter in an object. |
| Matter | Anything that has a mass and takes up (occupies) space |
| Metal | An element that is shiny and that conducts heat and electricity well. |
| Metalloid | An element that has properties of both metals and nonmetals; sometimes referred to as a semiconductor. |
| Nonmetal | Elements that are generally gases or dull, brittle solids and are poor conductors of heat and electricity. |
| Period | A horizontal row of elements in the modern periodic table. |
| Physical change | A type of change that alters the physical properties of a substance but does not change its composition. |
| Physical property | A characteristic of matter that can be observed or measured without changing the sample's composition; example: density, color, taste, hardness, and melting point. |
| Plasma | Hot, highly ionized, electrically conducting gas. |
| Reactant | The starting substance in a chemical reaction. |
| Solid | A form of matter that has its own definite shape and volume, is incompressible, and expands only slightly when heated. |
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