Properties of Matter Quiz

A characteristic that can be observed without changing the substance's identity.

A characteristic that involves a change in a substance's identity.

A property that depends on the amount of matter.

A property that is independent of the amount of matter.

The temperature at which a solid changes to a liquid.

Ability of a substance to dissolve in another.

A change in which the substance's identity is not altered.

A change in which the substance's identity is altered.

A substance that cannot be broken down into simpler substances.

A substance made of two or more elements chemically bonded.

A combination of two or more substances that retain their own identities.

A mixture with a uniform composition throughout.

A mixture with visibly different components.

Digits in a measurement that directly reflect the precision of a measuring device.

Numbers with no uncertainty or significant figures.

State of matter with a definite shape and volume.

State of matter with a definite volume but no definite shape.

State of matter with no definite volume or shape.

States of matter (Solid and Liquid) with a close arrangement of particles.

Both Liquids and Gases; substances that can flow.

Materials composed of metal atoms held together by metallic bonding. These materials have a unique structure that gives them distinctive properties.

A type of chemical bonding where valence electrons are delocalized and shared collectively among metal ions. These electrons form a ‘sea’, creating strong bonds.

Metals are excellent conductors of electricity and heat because the free-moving electrons can easily carry charges and energy throughout the material.

Metals can be hammered or rolled into thin sheets without breaking due to the ability of metal ions to shift their positions while maintaining metallic bonding.

Metals can be stretched into wires without snapping because their structure allows for metal ions to slide past each other while retaining metallic bonds.

A model that describes metallic bonding as a regular array of positively charged metal ions surrounded by a ‘sea’ of delocalized electrons.

High thermal conductivity, malleability, ductility, electrical conductivity, and strong without being brittle are all characteristics of metallic solids.

Metallic bonding explains the unique combination of strength, conductivity, malleability, and ductility that we observe in metals.

A type of bonding where atoms are connected in a continuous network of covalent bonds, creating strong and rigid structures.

Diamond has a tetrahedral structure, where each carbon atom is bonded to four other carbon atoms in a strong, three-dimensional network.

Diamond is extremely hard, has a high melting point, is a good thermal conductor, and is not electrically conductive. These properties result from its strong, three-dimensional covalent network.

Graphite consists of layers of carbon atoms arranged in hexagonal rings. These layers are held together by weak intermolecular forces.

Graphite is soft, slippery, a good electrical conductor, and has a high melting point. Its properties are due to its layered structure and the delocalized electrons within the layers.

Solids formed by molecules held together by intermolecular forces like London dispersion forces, dipole-dipole interactions, and hydrogen bonds.

An ordered, repeating arrangement of points representing the positions of repeating units (atoms, ions, or molecules) in a crystal.

The smallest repeating unit in a crystal lattice that, when repeated in all directions, creates the entire crystal structure.

A cubic unit cell where atoms occupy only the corners of the cube. Each corner atom is shared by 8 unit cells, resulting in 1 atom per unit cell.

A cubic unit cell with an additional atom located at the center of the cube, in addition to the corner atoms. This contributes an extra atom, making the total number of atoms per unit cell 2.

A cubic unit cell with atoms located at all corners and at the center of each face. Each face atom is shared by two unit cells, resulting in 4 atoms per unit cell.

The number of nearest-neighbor atoms that an atom in a crystal structure directly interacts with.

A solid material that lacks a regular, repeating arrangement of atoms. It has small, somewhat ordered regions interspersed among large, disordered regions.

A deviation from the perfect, ordered arrangement of atoms in a crystal structure. These defects can include missing atoms, misplaced atoms, or impurities.

A process that joins two pieces of metal by melting and intermixing them. This process introduces defects (intermingled atoms) that strengthen the metal.

Introducing small amounts of impurities (other elements) into a semiconductor material to modify its conductivity.

A substance formed by a giant, three-dimensional network of positively and negatively charged ions held together by strong electrostatic attractions.

Ionic solids are typically brittle, have high melting and boiling points, and are poor conductors of electricity in their solid state, but conduct electricity when melted or dissolved in water.

The electrostatic attraction between oppositely charged ions, resulting from the transfer of electrons between atoms.

A substance where atoms are interconnected in a continuous network through strong covalent bonds, forming one large molecule.

These solids have very high melting points, are incredibly hard, often brittle, and generally poor electrical conductors, except for some like graphite.

Ionic solids are poor conductors when solid because their ions are rigidly held in place. However, in liquid or dissolved forms, the ions can move freely, allowing for the flow of electric current.

The strong covalent bonds that extend throughout the entire structure create a rigid network that resists deformation, making them very hard.

Although hard, network solids can crack under stress because the strong bonds are difficult to bend. When they break, they fracture along planes, resulting in brittle behavior.

Ceramic materials are nonmetallic, nonpolymeric solids hardened by high temperatures. They are typically made of inorganic compounds and often have a glassy or crystalline structure.

Clay ceramics consist of silicate microcrystals (like kaolinite) suspended in a glassy bonding medium. When heated, the structure reorganizes into a network of silicon and aluminum tetrahedrons linked by oxygen atoms.

High-tech ceramics, like zinc oxide (ZnO), are designed for specific applications. They can exhibit unusual electrical properties like variable resistance.

Polymers are long chains of molecules (monomers) linked together by covalent bonds. They can be either natural (biopolymers) or synthetic.

Nanotechnology is the science and engineering of systems at the nanoscale (1-100 nm). These systems exhibit unique properties that aren't found in either atoms or bulk materials.