Physical Science Vocabulary Part 1

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atom

Back 1

the smallest particle of an element

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molecule

Back 2

a combination of two or more atoms that arebonded together

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element

Back 3

a substance that cannot be broken down into any othersubstances by chemical or physical means; building blocks of matter

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compound

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a substance made of two or more elementschemically combined in a specific ratio

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nucleus

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tiny, central core of an atom; contain particles called protons and neutrons

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proton

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subatomic particle with a positive charge

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neutron

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subatomic particle with no charge, they are neutral

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electron

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subatomic particle with a negative charge; moves in the space around the nucleus, very energetic, moves rapidly in all directions

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atomic number

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the number of protons in the nucleus of an atom

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atomic mass

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the “average” of one atom of an element

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ion

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an atom or group of atoms that is electrically charged

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positive ion

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an atom that has lost one or more electrons

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negative ion

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an atom that has gained one or more electrons

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isotope

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atoms that have the same number of protons butdifferent numbers of neutrons

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metals

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an element that conducts heat and electricitywell; shiny; malleable

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malleability

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means that a metal can be bent and rolled intothin sheets

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ductility

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can be rolled into thin threads (wires)

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nonmetals

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do not conduct electricity, they are not shinyor malleable

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periodic table

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a chart arranged according to atomic numbers; developed by Dmitri Mendeleev; elements in the same family or group (columns going down) have similarchemical characteristics

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solid

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matter with a definite shape and volume

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liquid

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definite volume and no definite shape

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gas

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no definite shape or volume

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States of Matter

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solid, liquid, gas, plasma

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plasma

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a gas in which some of the electrons have been removed fromthe atoms or molecules; most matterin universe

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sublimation

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when matter changes from a solid to a gas (skipping the liquid phase)

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acid

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reacts easily with other substances and turnsblue litmus paper red; corrosive, sour

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base

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reacts easily with other substances, turnsred litmus paper blue; slippery, bitter

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physical properties

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characteristic that can be observed or measured without changing the composition of the substance

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physical change

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alters a substance's appearance without changing its chemical composition

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chemical properties

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describe the ability of a substance to react with othermaterials and form new substances

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chemical change

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new substance has been formed; chemical makeupchanges; same atoms, but rearranged intoa different structure

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Buoyancy

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ability to float in a liquid or rise in a gas

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Combustibility

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ability to burn

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reactivity

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how easily something reacts with something else; ability of a substance to go through a chemical change

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stability

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do not go through chemical changes very easily;rarely react with other substances

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mixture

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combination of two or more substances that are not chemically combined with eachother

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solution

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a liquid mixture in which the minor component (the solute) is uniformly distributed within the major component (the solvent)

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suspension

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a mixture that contains particles that are largeenough to be seen

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colloid

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suspensions that aren’t easily filtered, becauseof small size of particles