Basic Chemistry and Atomic Structure Quiz

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Questions and Answers

What distinguishes unsaturated fats from saturated fats?

Unsaturated fats have double bonds between carbon atoms. (correct)

Unsaturated fats have every carbon bonded to hydrogen.

Unsaturated fats contain no hydrogen.

Unsaturated fats are solid at room temperature.

What effect do trans fats have on cholesterol levels?

They stabilize cholesterol levels.

They have no effect on cholesterol levels.

They lower HDL and raise LDL. (correct)

They raise HDL and lower LDL.

Which structure is formed by the tails of phospholipids?

Phospholipid Sphere

Phospholipid Micelle

Phospholipid Bilayer (correct)

Phospholipid Monolayer

What type of protein is primarily responsible for transporting substances?

Transport proteins (D) Signup and view all the answers

What is the primary structure of a protein?

A sequence of amino acids. (D) Signup and view all the answers

What interaction stabilizes the tertiary structure of a protein?

Hydrophobic interactions between nonpolar side chains. (A) Signup and view all the answers

Which of the following is a key feature of phospholipids?

They can form micelles in water. (A) Signup and view all the answers

Which nucleic acid structure is primarily involved in coding for proteins?

DNA (B) Signup and view all the answers

How are nucleotides connected in the sugar-phosphate backbone of DNA?

Phosphodiester bonds between sugars and phosphates. (A) Signup and view all the answers

What does 'semi-conservative' refer to in DNA replication?

One old and one new strand are present in each DNA molecule. (A) Signup and view all the answers

What is the role of chaperonins in protein structure?

They help proteins fold properly. (A) Signup and view all the answers

Which amino acid group does histidine belong to?

Electrically Charged (A) Signup and view all the answers

What happens to a protein during denaturation?

Its polypeptide chain breaks apart. (B) Signup and view all the answers

What is the best description of a micelle?

A spherical arrangement of amphipathic molecules. (B) Signup and view all the answers

What characteristic distinguishes compounds from elements?

Compounds consist of multiple types of atoms. (A) Signup and view all the answers

What is the primary reason that atoms are considered mostly empty space?

The distance between electrons and the nucleus is large relative to their size. (D) Signup and view all the answers

Which of the following statements about isotopes is correct?

Isotopes of an element have the same physical properties. (C) Signup and view all the answers

What is a consequence of water's high specific heat?

Large bodies of water can moderate climate by absorbing heat. (B) Signup and view all the answers

Which type of bond involves the passing of an electron from one atom to another?

Ionic bond (D) Signup and view all the answers

What best describes the role of functional groups in organic molecules?

They give organic molecules specific chemical properties. (A) Signup and view all the answers

Hydrophobic substances tend to be:

Non-polar and repel water. (A) Signup and view all the answers

What is the result of dehydration synthesis?

Linking of monomers to form polymers, with water as a byproduct. (D) Signup and view all the answers

Which statement accurately describes the difference between acids and bases?

Bases reduce the concentration of H+ ions. (B) Signup and view all the answers

Which of the following is a defining feature of valence electrons?

They influence an atom's bonding behavior. (B) Signup and view all the answers

What type of carbohydrates serve as long-term energy storage for plants?

Starch (C) Signup and view all the answers

Which functional group is characterized by a carbon atom double-bonded to an oxygen atom?

Carboxyl (B) Signup and view all the answers

What is the primary characteristic of hydrophilic substances?

They have an affinity for water. (D) Signup and view all the answers

What effect does ice have on the water below it during freezing?

Ice insulates the liquid water, allowing aquatic life to survive. (A) Signup and view all the answers

Study Notes

Basic Chemistry

Matter: has mass and occupies space, made of elements and compounds, affected by gravity
Energy: the ability to do work, potential and kinetic (ex: sound, light, heat), matter has a tendency to move to the lowest energy level
Element: pure substance, one kind of atom, cannot be broken down
Compound: 2 or more different elements in a fixed ratio, characteristics may be different than its elements

Atomic Structure

Atom: smallest unit of an element, retains element's properties, protons, neutrons, and electrons as subatomic particles
Protons: atomic mass unit (AMU) of 1, positive charge, found in the nucleus
Neutrons: AMU of 1, no charge, found in the nucleus
Electrons: negligible AMU, negative charge, found in the electron cloud
Atomic Number: number of protons in an atom
Mass Number: number of protons and neutrons in an atom
Atomic Mass: total AMU of the nucleus
Isotopes: atoms of the same element with different numbers of neutrons, must have balanced protons and electrons to be neutral, radioactive isotopes are unstable and spontaneously decay
Electrons: exist at fixed levels of potential energy (electron shells)

Chemical Bonds

Covalent bonds: strong bonds, characterized by electron pairs shared between atoms
Single bond: sharing of one pair of electrons
Double bond: sharing of two pairs of electrons
Triple bond: sharing of three pairs of electrons
Polar covalent bond: uneven electron distribution due to differences in electronegativity, unequal sharing
Nonpolar covalent bond: equal sharing of electrons
Ionic bond: electron transfer between atoms, forming ions that attract, cation is positive charge, anion is negative charge, forms ionic compounds (salts)
Hydrogen bond: weaker bond, attraction between the slightly positive hydrogen of one molecule and a slightly negative atom (often oxygen or nitrogen) of another molecule

Water

Polar molecule: unequal sharing of electrons between hydrogen and oxygen atoms
Hydrogen bonds: crucial for water's properties, allows surface tension, cohesion (attraction between water molecules), and adhesion (attraction between water and other molecules)
High specific heat: absorbs significant heat before temperature changes, moderates temperatures
High heat of vaporization: absorbs a lot of heat to evaporate, cooling effect
Solvent of life: water dissolves many substances, hydration shell forms around dissolved ions
Important properties: cohesion, adhesion, surface tension, capillary action, transpiration, moderation of temperature, expansion upon freezing

Chemical Reactions

Chemical reactions: making or breaking chemical bonds in matter, change composition

Functional Groups

Hydroxyl (-OH): often found in alcohols, polar, can form hydrogen bonds
Carbonyl (>C=O): found in sugars, ketones, and aldehydes, polar
Carboxyl (-COOH): found in organic acids, acidic, can donate H⁺
Amino (-NH₂): found in amines, basic (accepts H⁺)
Sulfhydryl (-SH): found in thiols, can form cross-linking bonds in proteins
Phosphate (-OPO₃²⁻): found in nucleic acids and phospholipids, negatively charged, contribute to molecule's charge
Methyl (-CH₃): often added to DNA or proteins, affects their function

Organic Compounds

Carbon: versatile, forms covalent bonds, four bonds
Isomers: different structures with same molecular formula
Functional groups: give molecules unique properties
Monomers/polymers: monomers combine to form polymers by dehydration synthesis
Hydrolysis: opposite reaction breaks down the polymer using water
Important macromolecules: carbohydrates, lipids, proteins, nucleic acids

Carbohydrates

Monosaccharides: simple sugars (glucose, fructose, galactose), building blocks for larger carbs
Disaccharides: two monosaccharides joined (sucrose, lactose, maltose)
Polysaccharides: many monosaccharides joined (starch, glycogen, cellulose, chitin), storage and structural functions

Lipids

Fatty Acids: long hydrocarbon chains, saturated (no double bonds), unsaturated (double bonds)
Fats and oils: glycerol + fatty acids, saturated fats are solid at room temperature, unsaturated fats are liquid
Phospholipids: glycerol +2 fatty acids + phosphate, important for cell membranes
Steroids: 4 fused carbon rings (cholesterol, hormones)
Hydrophobic: do not mix with water

Proteins

Amino acids: monomers of proteins (20 different amino acids), determined by sequence
Peptides/Polypeptides: short/long chains of amino acids, peptide bonds link them
Levels of protein structure: primary (sequence), secondary (alpha helix, beta sheet), tertiary (3D shape), quaternary (multiple polypeptide chains)
Denaturation: loss of protein structure, due to pH, temp etc
Functions: enzymes (catalysts), transport, storage, defense, structure, hormones

Nucleic Acids

Nucleotide: monomers of nucleic acids (sugar, base, phosphate), joined by phosphodiester bonds
Types: DNA and RNA
Base Pairing: A-T/U, C-G
Structure: DNA double helix, RNA often single-stranded
Functions: store and transmit genetic information, DNA is the blueprint for proteins
DNA: deoxyribose sugar, A, T, C, G bases
RNA: ribose sugar, A, U, C, G bases

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Description

Test your understanding of basic chemistry concepts and atomic structure. This quiz covers topics such as matter, energy, elements, compounds, and the components of atoms. Prepare to challenge your knowledge about protons, neutrons, electrons, and isotopes.