Chemical Bonding and Reactions: A Comprehensive Guide

Chemical Bond: mutual electrical attraction between the nuclei and valence electrons of different atoms that binds the atoms together.

Ionic Bonding: Chemical bonding that results from the electrical attraction between cations and anions.

Covalent Bonding: Results from the sharing of electron pairs between two atoms.

Electronegativity: a measure of an atom’s ability to attract electrons.

  • Nonpolar covalent bond: a covalent bond in which the bonding electrons are shared equally by the bonded atoms, resulting in a balanced distribution of electrical charge.
  • Polar covalent bond: covalent bond in which the bonded atoms have an unequal attraction for the shared electrons.
  • Polar: uneven distribution of charge.

Molecule: a neutral group of atoms that are held together by covalent bonds.

Molecular compound: chemical compound whose simplest units are molecules.

Chemical formula: indicates the relative numbers of atoms of each kind in a chemical compound by using atomic symbols and numerical subscripts.

Molecular formula: indicates the types and numbers of atoms combined in a single molecule of a molecular compound.

Diatomic molecule: a molecule containing only 2 atoms.

Bond energy: energy required to break a COVALENT bond and form neutral isolated atoms.

Resonance: the bonding in molecules or ions that cannot be correctly represented by a single Lewis structure.

Ionic compound: positive and negative ions (cations and anions) that are combined so that the numbers of positive and negative charges are equal.

Formula unit: simplest collection of atoms from which an IONIC COMPOUND formula can be established.

Lattice energy: energy released when one mole of an ionic crystalline compound is formed from gaseous ions.

Polyatomic ions: a charged group of covalent bonded atoms.

Metallic bonding: chemical bonding resulting from the attraction between metal atoms and the surrounding sea of electrons.

  • Malleability: the ability of a substance to be hammered or beaten into thin sheets.
  • Ductility: the ability of a substance to be drawn, pulled, or extruded through a small opening to produce a wire.

VSEPR Theory: Valence-Shell Electron Pair Repulsion Theory.

VSEPR Theory: repulsion between the sets of valence-level electrons surrounding an atom causes the sets to be oriented as far apart as possible.

Dipole-dipole forces: forces of attraction between polar molecules.

Dipole: created by equal but opposite charges that are separated by a short distance.

London dispersion forces:

  • the intermolecular attractions resulting from the constant motion of electrons and the creation of instantaneous dipoles.
  • forces act between all atoms AND molecules.
  • forces are NOT present in intramolecular forces.
  • increases with atomic mass or molar mass.

Hybridization: the mixing of two or more atomic orbitals of similar energies on the same atom to produce new orbitals of equal energies.

Hybrid orbitals: orbitals of equal energy produced by the combination of two or more orbitals on the same atom.

Monatomic ions: ions formed from a single atom.

Binary compounds: compounds composed of two elements.

Oxyanions: polyatomic ions that contain oxygen.

Binary acids: acids that consist of two elements, usually hydrogen and one of the halogens—fluorine, chlorine, bromine, iodine.

Oxyacids: acids that contain hydrogen, oxygen, and a third element (usually a nonmetal).

Salt: ionic compound composed of a cation and the anion from an acid.

Formula mass: sum of the average atomic masses of all atoms represented in its formula.

Empirical formula: a chemical formula that shows the composition of a compound in terms of the relative numbers and kinds of atoms in the simplest ratio.

Hydrocarbons: molecular compounds composed solely of carbon and hydrogen.

Stock System: used to distinguish the ions formed when elements form two or more cations with different charges;
used a Roman numeral to indicate an ion’s charge.

Molar mass: the mass in grams of one molecule of a substance;
a compound’s molar mass is numerically equal to its formula mass.

Precipitate: a solid that forms from a solution during a chemical reaction.

Reversible reaction: a chemical reaction in which the products re-form the original reactants.

Synthesis reaction: a reaction in which two or more substances combine to form a new compound.

Decomposition reaction: a reaction in which a single compound breaks down to form two or more simpler substances.

Electrolysis: the decomposition of a substance by an electric current.

Single-displacement reaction: a reaction in which atoms of one element take the place of atoms of another element in a compound.

Double-displacement reaction: When the positive ion of one compound replaces the positive ion of another to form two new compounds.

Combustion reaction: a chemical reaction that occurs when a substance reacts with oxygen, releasing energy in the form of heat and light.

Activity series: a list of elements organized according to the ease with which the elements undergo certain chemical reactions.

Composition stoichiometry: deals with the mass relationships of elements in compounds.

Reaction stoichiometry: calculations involving the mass relationships between reactants and products in a chemical reaction.

Mole ratio: a conversion factor that relates the amounts in moles of any two substances involved in a chemical reaction.

Limiting reactant: the substance that controls the quantity of product that can form in a chemical reaction.

Excess reactant: The substance that is not used up completely in a reaction.

Theoretical yield: the maximum amount of product that can be produced from a given amount of reactant.

Actual yield: the measured amount of a product obtained from a reaction.

Percentage yield: The ratio of the actual yield to the theoretical yield, multiplied by 100.

Diffusion: Spontaneous mixing of the particles of two substances caused by their random motion.

Effusion: A process by which gas particles pass through tiny openings.

Elastic Collision: Collisions between gas particles, other particles, and container walls-with no net loss of kinetic energy.

Fluids: Liquids or gases that flow.

Ideal Gas: An imaginary gas that perfectly fits all assumptions of the Kinetic Molecular Theory.

Real Gas: A gas that does not behave completely according to the assumptions of the Kinetic Molecular Theory.

Kinetic Molecular Theory: Based on the idea that particles of matter are always in motion.

Atmosphere Pressure: (Atm) Define as equivalent to 760mm Hg.

Barometer: A device used to measure atmospheric pressure.

Standard Temperature & Pressure: (STP) Standard condition of atm pressure and zero degrees Celsius.

Boyle’s Law: The volume of a fix mass of a gas at constant pressure varies inversely with pressure and temp.

Charles’ Law: The volume of a fixed mass of gas at a constant pressure varies directly with the Kelvin temp.

Dalton’s Law: Total pressure of the mixture of gases is equal to the sum of the particle pressures of the component gases.

Gas Laws: simple mathematical relationships between the volume, temp., pressure, and the amount of gas. Gay-Lussac’s Law: The fixed amount of gases’ pressure depends on the Kelvin scale.

Partial Pressure: The pressure of each gas in a mixture.

Newton: The force that will increase the speed of a one-kilogram mass by one meter per second each second that the force is applied.

Pascal: The pressure exerted by a force of one newton acting on an area of one square meter and is symbolized by Pa.

Partial pressure: The pressure of each gas in a mixture.

Dalton’s law of partial pressures: States that the total pressure of a gas mixture is the sum of the partial pressures of the component gases.

Boyle’s Law: States that the volume of a fixed mass of gas varies inversely with the pressure at constant temperature.

Charles’ Law: States that the volume of a fixed mass of gas at a constant pressure varies directly with the Kelvin temperature.

Gay-Lussac’s Law: The pressure of a fixed mass of gas at a constant volume varies directly with the Kelvin temperature.

Combined gas law: Expresses the relationship between pressure, volume, and temperature of a fixed amount of gas.

Gay-Lussac’s law of combining volumes of gases: States that at constant temperature and pressure, the volumes of gaseous reactants and products can be expressed as ratios of small whole numbers.

Avogadro’s law: States that equal volumes of gases at the same temperature and pressure contain equal numbers of molecules.

Ideal gas law: The mathematical relationship among pressure, volume, temperature, and the number of moles of a gas.

Graham’s law of effusion: States that the rates of effusion of gases at the same temperature and pressure are inversely proportional to the square roots of their molar masses.

Solution: a homogeneous mixture of two or more substances in a single phase.

  • Homogeneous: same throughout.
  • Heterogeneous: different throughout.

Soluble: able to be dissolved.

Insoluble: not able to be dissolved.

Solvent: the component of the mixture that does the dissolving.

Solute: the substance that is dissolved.

Suspensions: heterogeneous mixture in which the particles will settle upon standing, can be separated on filtration, and will show the tyndall effect (orange juice with pulp).

Colloid: heterogeneous mixture with particles smaller than a suspension and larger than a solution. Do not separate upon standing, do not separate by filtration, but can show the tyndall effect.

Electrolyte: substance that dissolves in water to produce ions therefore the solution can conduct electricity.

Nonelectrolytes: substances that dissolve in water but does not break into ions and cannot conduct electricity.

Molarity: moles of solute/liters of solution; M.

Factors affecting the rate of dissolution: increasing the surface area of the solute, agitation, heating.

Solution equilibrium: the physical state in which the opposing processes of dissolution and crystallization of a solute occur at equal rates.

  • Saturated: contains the maximum amount of dissolved solute.
  • Unsaturated: contains less then the maximum amount of solute.
  • Supersaturated: contains more solute than a saturated solution under the same conditions.

Solubility values: states the amount of specific substance required to form a saturated solution with a specific amount of solvent at a specified temperature.

Immiscible: when two liquids will not dissolve in each other (water and oil).

Miscible: liquids that dissolve freely in one another in any proportion (ethanol and water).

William Henry’s Law: the solubility of a gas in a liquid in directly proportional to the partial pressure of that gas on the surface of the liquid.

Effervescence: the rapid escape of gas in a liquid in which it is dissolved.

Solvated: a solute particle that is surrounded by solvent molecules.

Enthalpy of solution: the amount of heat energy absorbed or released when a specific amount of a solute dissolved in a solvent.

Concentrated: contains large amount of solute.