| A | B |
|---|
| atom | smallest particle of an element that still has the properties of that element |
| electron | subatomic particle with a negative charge and an atomic mass of nearly zero |
| nucleus | the atom's central region, consists of protons and neutrons; its diameter is nearly 100,000 smaller than the whole atom! |
| proton | positively charged particle found in the nucleus of the atom; a proton has a mass of 1 amu |
| neutron | particle in the nucleus of the atom with no charge; each neutron has a mass of 1 amu |
| atomic number | number of protons in an atom; the atomic number is the same for all atoms of the same element |
| mass number | the sum of protons and neutrons in the nucleus of an atom |
| periodic table of elements | the chart that shows all types of elements natural and man-made; it is organized by atomic number |
| atom | smallest particle of an element that still has the properties of that element |
| molecule | two or more atoms joined by chemical bonds; also the smallest particle of a compound that still has the properties of that compound |
| electron cloud | region where electrons are likely to be found |
| isotope | atom of an element with the same number of protons but a different number of neutrons |
| atomic nucleus | where most of the matter of an atom is found; yet it is 1/100,000 the size of the whole atom |
| supernova | an exploding star -- creates heavy elements through nuclear fusion |
| amplitude | height of a wave; with light, greater the amplitude, brighter the light |
| wavelength | distance from one wave peak to another; with light, the longer the wavelength, the redder the light |
| frequency | number of waves per unit of time; with light, the higher the frequency, the bluer the light |
| visible spectrum | the light we can see -- comes in a variety of frequencies -- ranging through "ROY G. BIV" |
| solid | state of matter where particles have strong bonds of attraction and vibrate in place |
| liquid | state of matter where particles have loose bonds of attraction and can slide past each other |
| gas | state of matter where particles have the most energy and almost no bonds of attraction |
| element | pure substance made of only one kind of atom; cannot be broken down into a simpler subtance |
| metal | type of element with properties of being shiny, malleable, a good conductor of heat/electricity (such as copper, gold, aluminum) |
| nonmetal | type of element that is not a good conductor, not malleable, sometimes a gas, or powder (examples chlorine, oxygen, carbon) |
| metalloid | type of element with in-between properties (example: silicon -- a semiconductor) |
| characteristic property | a property that is always true of a substance and can be used to identify it (like density, melting point, flammability) |
