Chemistry key terms

An electrode that conducts electricity without reacting with the electrolyte or products.

A conclusion reached from evidence rather than from direct observation.

Electromagnetic radiation emitted by warm objects; Earth’s warmed surface emits long-wavelength infrared radiation.

The rate of reaction at the beginning of a reaction, found from the gradient of a tangent at time zero.

A substance that does not dissolve, or dissolves only to a negligible extent, in a particular solvent.

A substance that does not dissolve, or dissolves only very slightly, in the reaction mixture.

A salt that does not dissolve appreciably in water.

The rate of reaction at one particular moment, found from the gradient of a tangent to a curve.

The use of scientific instruments to detect, identify or measure substances from a recorded signal.

A method that uses measuring equipment to detect, identify or measure chemical substances.

A sequence of production stages whose outputs supply materials for other stages.

A measure of the strength of detected radiation, usually shown on the vertical axis of a spectrum.

The boundary where two liquids meet. In the nylon demonstration, the polymer first appears where the two solutions touch.

An attractive force acting between separate molecules; it is weak compared with a covalent bond.

Forces of attraction between separate molecules.

The total energy stored by the particles of a substance through their movement and their positions relative to one another.

The internationally agreed system of measurement units used to communicate quantitative scientific data consistently.

Estimating a value that lies between known or plotted values.

To explain what data show by identifying patterns, relationships, differences or unusual results.

The difference between neighbouring values of the independent variable.

A relationship in which one quantity changes by the opposite factor to another, so their product stays constant.

An operation that reverses another operation, such as subtraction reversing addition and division reversing multiplication.

A charged particle formed when an atom loses or gains electrons.

The overall electrical charge produced by the difference between the numbers of protons and electrons.

The strong electrostatic attraction between oppositely charged ions in a giant lattice.

A strong electrostatic attraction between oppositely charged ions.

The electrical property of an ion, written as a superscript with a magnitude and a positive or negative sign, such as $2+$ or $1-$.

A substance containing positive and negative ions held together by electrostatic attraction.

An equation showing only the particles that take part in the chemical change, with spectator ions omitted.

A regular, repeating three-dimensional arrangement of positive and negative ions.