Chemistry: Exploring the Fundamentals

The positively charged particles found in the nucleus of an atom.

The neutral particles found in the nucleus of an atom, along with protons.

The negatively charged particles that orbit the nucleus of an atom.

The number of protons in an atom's nucleus determines what type of element it is.

Different isotopes of the same element have the same number of protons but a different number of neutrons.

Properties of a substance that describe how it interacts with other substances and changes its composition.

Properties of a substance that describe its observable characteristics without a change in its composition.

A substance made of only one type of atom or molecule, with a fixed composition.

Elements that readily gain electrons, commonly found as diatomic molecules (e.g., F2, Cl2).

The strength of an atom's attraction for electrons in a bond.

A bond formed between a metal and a nonmetal, where one atom loses electrons and the other gains them.

A circuit where components are connected in a single continuous path. The current flows through all components.

A circuit where components are connected in multiple separate paths. The current can flow through different paths.

The total current in a parallel circuit is the sum of the currents in each branch.

The total current in a series circuit is the same through each component.

The voltage across each component in a parallel circuit is the same.

In a series circuit, the total voltage is equal to the sum of the voltages across each individual component.

The tendency of a material to resist the flow of electric current. A higher resistance means less current flows.

Natural resources that cannot be replenished at the same rate they are consumed, such as fossil fuels, minerals, and nuclear fuels.

The process by which plants use light energy from the sun to convert carbon dioxide and water into glucose and oxygen.

The length of a wire affects its resistance directly; longer wires have higher resistance.

The cross-sectional area of a wire affects its resistance inversely; thicker wires have lower resistance.

The outer layer of Earth, composed of various rocks like igneous, sedimentary, and metamorphic. It is divided into tectonic plates that constantly move and interact, causing geological events like earthquakes, volcanoes, and mountain formation.

Living organisms in an ecosystem. Examples include plants, animals, fungi, and bacteria.

Non-living components of an ecosystem. Examples include sunlight, water, temperature, soil composition, atmospheric gases, and nutrients.

Organisms that can make their own food through photosynthesis or chemosynthesis. Examples include plants, algae, and some bacteria.

Organisms that cannot make their own food and must consume other organisms. Examples include animals, fungi, and some bacteria.

A diagram that shows the transfer of energy from one trophic level to the next. It consists of producers, consumers, and decomposers.

The process by which organisms convert chemical energy stored in glucose into a form usable by cells, ATP.

The different levels in a food web, representing the flow of energy. Examples include producers, primary consumers, secondary consumers, tertiary consumers, and decomposers.

A group of stars, gas, dust, and dark matter, held together by gravity, with objects orbiting the galaxy's center of mass.

The Milky Way is a spiral galaxy with a central bulge and spiral arms.

Spiral, elliptical, and irregular, each defining a different shape and structure.

The four innermost planets of our solar system, with solid, rocky surfaces, contrasting with the gas giants further out.

Venus has a thick, toxic atmosphere, making its surface incredibly hot.

A lunar eclipse occurs when the Earth is positioned directly between the Sun and the Moon, casting a shadow on the Moon.

A lunar eclipse can only occur during a full moon phase when the Moon is opposite the Sun relative to Earth.

The Moon must pass through Earth's shadow, creating a lunar eclipse. This is only possible when the Sun, Earth, and Moon are aligned.

The intrinsic brightness of a star if it were located 10 parsecs (32.6 light-years) from Earth.

A classification system for stars based on their surface temperature, with the hottest stars being O-type and the coolest being M-type.

Stars in this stage are fusing hydrogen into helium in their core, like our Sun.

Stars that are smaller and denser than the Sun, found in the lower-left portion of the H-R diagram.

Stars that are larger and cooler than the Sun, found in the upper-right portion of the H-R diagram.

Galaxies with a central bulge and spiral arms winding outward, like the Milky Way.

Galaxies with a smooth, elliptical shape and no distinct spiral arms or central bulge, usually older than spirals.