Synthetic Materials

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Atom Noun

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[at-uhm]

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Atom

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The basic unit of a chemical element, consisting of a dense central nucleus surrounded by a cloud of electrons.

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Example: This image shows the parts of an atom: a central nucleus with protons and neutrons, and electrons orbiting the nucleus in shells.

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Molecule Noun

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[mol-i-kyool]

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Molecule

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A particle formed when two or more atoms are chemically bonded together, representing the smallest unit of a chemical compound.

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Example: This image shows a water molecule, where one oxygen atom (O) and two hydrogen atoms (H) are joined together by chemical bonds.

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Natural Resource Noun

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[nach-er-uhl ree-sors]

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Natural Resource

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Substances obtained directly from the Earth, living things, or the atmosphere, which serve as raw materials for products.

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Example: This image shows water, a natural resource, being taken directly from the Earth for human use, just like getting water from a cooler.

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Renewable Resource Noun

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[ri-noo-uh-buhl ree-sors]

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Renewable Resource

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A natural resource that can be replenished by natural processes over a relatively short period of time.

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Example: This diagram shows how wind, a renewable resource, turns turbines to generate electricity that is then sent to the power grid for use.

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Non renewable Resource Noun

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[non-ri-noo-uh-buhl ree-sors]

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Non renewable Resource

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A natural resource that exists in a fixed quantity and cannot be easily replaced on a human timescale.

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Example: This diagram shows examples of non-renewable energy sources, including fossil fuels (oil, coal, natural gas) and nuclear power, which provide energy.

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Chemical Reaction Noun

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[kem-i-kuhl ree-ak-shuhn]

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Chemical Reaction

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A process that involves the rearrangement of the molecular or ionic structure of a substance, forming new substances.

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Example: Reactants (like methane and oxygen) on the left rearrange their atoms to form new substances called products (carbon dioxide and water) on the right.

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Law of Conservation of Mass Noun

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[law uv kon-ser-vey-shuhn uv mas]

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Law of Conservation of Mass

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The principle stating that mass in an isolated system is neither created nor destroyed by chemical reactions or physical transformations.

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Example: A closed flask on a scale has the same mass before and after a chemical reaction occurs inside, showing mass is not lost.

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Polymer Noun

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[pol-uh-mer]

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Polymer

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A large molecule, or macromolecule, composed of many repeating smaller subunits chemically bonded together in a long chain.

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Example: This image shows that a polymer is a long chain made by linking many small, repeating units, called monomers, together, similar to beads on a string.

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Monomer Noun

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[mon-uh-mer]

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Monomer

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A small molecule that can be chemically bonded to other identical molecules to form a larger molecule called a polymer.

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Example: This diagram shows that large proteins are made of smaller, repeating units (monomers), which in this case are called amino acids.

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Addition Polymerization Noun

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[uh-dish-uhn pol-i-mer-i-zey-shuhn]

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Addition Polymerization

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A chemical reaction where monomer units are added one by one to a growing polymer chain without losing any atoms.

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Example: This image shows many small ethene molecules (monomers) joining together to form a long chain molecule called polyethene (a polymer).