Basic Concepts of Chemistry

Matter: Anything that has mass and occupies space.
- States of Matter: Solid, liquid, gas, plasma.
Atoms: Basic unit of matter.
- Composed of protons, neutrons, and electrons.
- Atomic number = number of protons.
- Mass number = protons + neutrons.
Elements: Pure substances made of only one type of atom.
- Represented by symbols (e.g., H for Hydrogen, O for Oxygen).
Compounds: Substances formed when two or more elements chemically bond.
- Represented by chemical formulas (e.g., H₂O for water).

Ionic Bonds: Formed through the transfer of electrons from one atom to another.
- Typically between metals and nonmetals.
Covalent Bonds: Formed by the sharing of electrons between atoms.
- Typically between nonmetals.
Metallic Bonds: Involves the pooling of electrons between metal atoms.

Reactants: Substances that undergo change during a reaction.
Products: New substances formed as a result of a chemical reaction.
Types of Reactions:
- Synthesis: A + B → AB
- Decomposition: AB → A + B
- Single Replacement: A + BC → AC + B
- Double Replacement: AB + CD → AD + CB
- Combustion: Hydrocarbon + O₂ → CO₂ + H₂O

Acids: Substances that donate protons (H⁺ ions).
- Properties: Sour taste, pH < 7, turn blue litmus red.
Bases: Substances that accept protons or donate hydroxide ions (OH⁻).
- Properties: Bitter taste, slippery feel, pH > 7, turn red litmus blue.

Solvent: Major component that dissolves the solute.
Solute: Substance being dissolved.
Concentration: Measure of how much solute is present in a given volume of solvent (e.g., molarity = moles of solute/liters of solution).

Study of the quantitative relationships in chemical reactions.
Involves using mole ratios from balanced equations to convert between moles of reactants and products.

Study of inorganic compounds, typically those not containing carbon-hydrogen bonds.
Includes metals, minerals, and organometallic compounds.

Matter is defined as anything that possesses mass and occupies space.
Four primary states of matter exist: solid, liquid, gas, and plasma.
Atoms are the basic units of matter, consisting of protons, neutrons, and electrons.
The atomic number indicates the number of protons in an atom, while the mass number is the sum of protons and neutrons.
Elements are pure substances made of only one type of atom, represented by symbols (e.g., H for Hydrogen, O for Oxygen).
Compounds are formed through the chemical bonding of two or more elements, denoted by chemical formulas (e.g., H₂O denotes water).

Ionic bonds result from the transfer of electrons between atoms, mainly between metals and nonmetals.
Covalent bonds involve the sharing of electrons, typically occurring between nonmetals.
Metallic bonds are characterized by the pooling of electrons among metal atoms.

Reactants are the substances that undergo change during a chemical reaction, while products are the new substances formed as a result.
Major types of chemical reactions include:
- Synthesis: two or more reactants combine to form one product (A + B → AB).
- Decomposition: a single compound breaks down into two or more products (AB → A + B).
- Single Replacement: one element trades places with another in a compound (A + BC → AC + B).
- Double Replacement: the exchange of components between two compounds (AB + CD → AD + CB).
- Combustion: a hydrocarbon reacts with oxygen to produce carbon dioxide and water (Hydrocarbon + O₂ → CO₂ + H₂O).

The periodic table consists of groups (vertical columns) and periods (horizontal rows) that reflect the elements' properties and energy levels.
Key classifications include metals, nonmetals, and metalloids.

Acids are substances that donate protons (H⁺ ions), generally have a sour taste, a pH of less than 7, and turn blue litmus paper red.
Bases accept protons or donate hydroxide ions (OH⁻), are characterized by a bitter taste, a slippery feel, a pH greater than 7, and turn red litmus paper blue.

A solvent is the primary component in a solution that dissolves solutes, which are the substances being dissolved.
Concentration measures the amount of solute in a given volume of solvent, such as molarity (moles of solute per liter of solution).

Endothermic reactions absorb heat from their surroundings (e.g., photosynthesis).
Exothermic reactions release heat into their surroundings (e.g., combustion).

Stoichiometry involves studying the quantitative relationships among reactants and products in chemical reactions.
It utilizes mole ratios from balanced chemical equations to facilitate conversions between the amounts of reactants and products.

Organic chemistry focuses on the study of carbon-containing compounds.
Important functional groups in organic compounds include alcohols, carboxylic acids, amines, alkenes, and alkynes.

Inorganic chemistry pertains to the study of compounds typically lacking carbon-hydrogen bonds, including metals, minerals, and organometallics.

Biochemistry examines the chemical processes within and related to living organisms.
Key areas of focus include enzymes, metabolic pathways, and the structures of DNA and RNA.