Page 323 - Theory and Problems of BEGINNING CHEMISTRY

GLOSSARY

A symbol for mass number.

absolute temperature temperature on the Kelvin scale.
absolute zero 0K =−273.15 C, the coldest temperature theoretically possible.
◦
acetylene ethyne; CH CH.
acid (1) a compound containing ionizable hydrogen atoms. (2) a proton donor (Brønsted-Lowry theory).

acid, organic a compound of the general type RCO 2 H.
acid salt a salt produced by partial neutralization of an acid containing more than one ionizable hydrogen atom,
for example, NaHSO 4 .

activated complex the highest energy assembly of atoms during the change of reactant molecules to product
molecules. This unstable species can decompose to form products or decompose in a different manner to re-form
the reactants.

activation energy the energy difference between the reactants and the activated complex.
activity reactivity; tendency to react.
alcohol an organic compound with molecules containing a covalently bonded OH group on the radical;
R OH.
aldehyde an organic compound of the general type RCHO.
alkali metal a metal of periodic table group IA: Li, Na, K, Rb, Cs, or Fr.

alkaline earth metal an element of periodic group IIA.
alkane a hydrocarbon containing only single bonds.
alkene a hydrocarbon each molecule of which contains one double bond.
alkyl radical a hydrocarbon radical from the alkane series.
alkyne a hydrocarbon each molecule of which contains one triple bond.
4
alpha particle a He nucleus ejected from a larger nucleus in a spontaneous radioactive reaction.
amide an organic compound of the type RCONHR’ or RCONR’R,” formed by reaction of an organic acid with
ammonia, or a primary or secondary amine.

amine an organic compound of the general type RNH 2 ,R 2 NH, or R 3 N.
ammonia NH 3 .
+
ammonium ion NH 4 .
amphiprotic the ability of a substance to react with itself to produce both a conjugate acid and base. Water is
amphiprotic, producing H 3 O and OH .
−
+
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