Chapter 2

What is matter?

• Anything that occupies space and has mass (weight)

• The ability to do work

• The fundamental units of matter

• The building blocks of elements

What are the fundamental units of matter?

• Energy, Matter, Chemicals

• Atoms, Molecules, Compounds

• Protons, Neutrons, Electrons

• Carbon, Oxygen, Hydrogen, Nitrogen

What are the subatomic particles and their characteristics?

• Carbon (C), Oxygen (O), Hydrogen (H), Nitrogen (N)

• A, B, AB, AC

• Protons (p+), Neutrons (n0), Electrons (e-)

• Adenine, Guanine, Cytosine, Thymine

What is the atomic mass number?

• Close to mass number of most abundant isotope

• Sum of the protons and neutrons

• Equal to the number of protons that the atoms contain

• Process of spontaneous atomic decay

What are isotopes?

• Have the same number of protons

• Vary in number of neutrons

• Close to mass number of most abundant isotope

• Heavy isotope

What are atoms united by?

• Valence shells

• Electron shells

• Energy levels

• Chemical bonds

What are full valence shells?

• Valence shells that are not full and are unstable

• Weak chemical bonds

• Atoms or molecules combine

• Have complete valence shells and are stable

What are covalent bonds?

• Atoms or molecules combine

• Weak chemical bonds

• Atoms become stable through shared electrons

• Form when electrons are completely transferred from one atom to another

What are organic compounds?

• Contain carbon

• Lack carbon

• Most abundant inorganic compounds

• Easily dissociate into ions in the presence of water

What is the function of nucleic acids?

• Increase the rate of chemical reactions

• Made of amino acids

• Provide blueprint of life

• Contain carbon, hydrogen, and oxygen