| A | B |
|---|
| Matter | anything that occupies space and has mass |
| Mass | measure of the amount of matter it contains (not to be confused with weight which depends on gravity) |
| Atom | smallest particle that can contain the chemical properties of an element |
| Element | substance composed of atoms that cannot be broken down into smaller, simpler components (can be solid, liquid or gas at room temp) |
| Molecules | particles containing more than one atom |
| Compounds | Molecules conatining more than one element |
| Nucleus | the mass of an atom (contains protons (pos charge) + neutrons (neutral charge) in center of atom |
| Atomic number | # of protons an element has |
| Mass number | # of protons + neutrons of that specific atom (whole #) |
| Average atomic mass | the average number of protons and neutrons of all the atoms of that particular element in the world (decimal #) |
| Isotopes | all atoms of a specific element must have the same # of protons, but isotopes have different # of neutrons, giving them different masses |
| Radioactive decay | spontaneous release of material from the nucleus changing the atom into a different element |
| Half-life | time it takes for 1/2 of the original radioactive parent atoms to decay; used to date substances or know how long a substance is dangerous |
| Covalent bonds | atoms that share valence (outermost) electrons to form a bond |
| Ionic bonds | one atom has a much greater electronegativity (pull on e-) so the valence e- of one atom transfer to the more electronegative atom, making it neg and the donating atom positive. The pos and neg charges attract each other, creating a bond |
| Hydrogen bonds | due to the polarity of two molecules, a weak attraction between the slight positive charge of a H in one molecule is attracted to the slight neg charge of an O, F, N of another molecule |
| Polar molecule | one side of a molecule is slightly positive and the other side is slightly negative |
| Surface tension | results from the cohesion of water molecules at the surface of a body of water (creates a sort of skin on the surface), also creates water in spheres |
| Capillary action | adhesion of water molecules to a surface is stronger than cohesion between the molecules |
| Water as a Solvent | polar water dissolves other polar molecules well so dissolved ions are abundent in solutions |
| Acid | increases concentration of H+ ions in solution when dissolved in H2O (ex: HNO3, H2SO4) |
| Base | increases concentration of OH- ions in solution when dissolved in H2O (ex: NaOH, Ca(OH)2) |
| pH scale | 0-5 is acidic, 6-8 is neutral, 9-14 is basic (alkaline); the lower/higher the #, the stronger the acid/base; logarithmis scale(factor of 10 difference between #s |
| Law of Conservation of Matter | matter can't be created or destroyed |
| Inorganic Compounds | either 1) don't contain carbon, 2) do contain carbon, but only bound to elements other than H (ex: NH3, NaCl, H2O, CO2) |
| Organic Compounds | C-C and C-H bonds (ex: C6H12O6 - glucose, CH4 - methane); basis of biological molecules - carbs, proteins, lipids, nucleic acids (aka - macromolecules) |
| Carbohydrates | C,H,O compounds; monosaccharide (glucose) simple sugar is quick energy for plants/ animals; complex carbs (polysaccharides) plants store energy as starch; cellulose in cell walls (adds strength) makes cellulosic ethanol which may supplement or replace gasoline |
| Proteins | chains of amino acids; functions: structural support, energy storage, internal transport, defense against foreign substances (antibodies), enzymes (type of protein) control rate of chem reactions |
| Nucleic Acids | form DNA (genetic material passed from parents to offspring) + RNA (translates DNA's code for protein synthesis) |
| Lipids | nonpolar (don't mix w/ H2O); ex: fats, waxes, steriods, cell membranes |
| Energy | ability to do work; energy = power x time |
| Electromagnetic Radiation | form of energy that includes but not limited to, visible light, ultraviolet light, infrared energy (heat), X-rays, gamma rays, radar, TV and radio waves, cell phones |
| Photon | massless packets of energy that travel at speed of light + can move through vaccum of space; amount of energy depends on wavelength (shorter = more energy, longer = less energy) |
| Joule (J) | amount of energy used when a 1-watt light bulb is turned on for 1 second |
| Power | rate at which work is done; power = energy/time |
| kilowatt (kW) | unit of power |
| kilowatt-hour (kWh) | unit of energy |
| potential energy | stored energy, not yet released (water behind a dam) |
| kinetic energy | energy of motion; (moving water turns a turbine for a generator); sound is kinetic b/c it's in waves |
| chemical energy | potential energy stored in bonds; (stored in food, gasoline, ATP) |
| Temperature | measure of the average kinetic energy of a substance |
| 1st Law of Thermodynamics | energy cannot be created or destroyed, just transferred |
| 2nd Law of Thermodynamics | when energy is transformed, the quantity of energy remains the same, but its ability to do work diminishes (some is transformed into waste heat); all systems move toward randomness rather than order (entropy) |
| Energy Efficiency | ratio of the amount of work that is done to the total amount of energy that is introduced into the system in the 1st place; 2 machines with different efficiencies will require different amounts of energy input to put out the same amount of energy |
| Energy Quality | ease with which an energy source can be used for work; hig-quality = convenient concentrated form + can be moved easily from one place to another; gas = high quality, wood = low |
| Entropy | systems move toward disorder unless new energy is introduced to create order; energy always flows from hot to cold |
| Open system | exchanges of matter or energy occur across system boundaries, energy/ matter enters and leaves (most systems); Earth in respect to energy |
| Closed system | matter and energy exchanges across sysetm boundaries don't occur (some underground caves, Earth in respect to matter) |
| Input | additions to a given system |
| outputs | losses from a given system |
| systems analysis | determine inputs, outputs and changes in the |
| steady state | inputs = outputs so the system is not changing over time |
| feedback | the results of a process feed back into the system to change the rate of that process (diagrammed as loops or cycles) |
| negative feedback loop | most common; a system responds to a change by returning to its original state, or by decreasing the rate at which the change is occurring; resists changes; ex: level of Mono Lake |
| Positive feedback loop | amplifies changes that occur; ex: population grwoth |
| Adaptive management plan | strategy that provides flexibility so that managers can modify it as future changes occur |
