Basic Chemistry Matter – anything made of mass and takes up volume Atom – basic unit of matter (so small that 100 million in a row only take up 1 centimeter of space), which has sub-atomic particles smaller than them. Nucleus – the center of an atom which has Protons (+ charge), and Neutrons (no charge) Protons and Neutrons have the same mass Electron – the negatively charged particle that circles around the nucleus Much smaller than a proton Equal in numbers to the proton Mrs. Degl

Element – a pure substance that consists of only one type of atom There are over 106 known elements Only about 24 are commonly found The symbols have either 1 or 2 letters The atomic number is the number of protons They are listed on the Period Table of Elements Mass Number = (Number of Protons) + (Number of Neutrons) Mrs. Degl

Compound – when two or more elements are chemically combined Isotopes – Atoms of the same element can have a different number of neutrons. Some Carbon atoms have 6 neutrons and some have 7/ 8. Some isotopes can be radioactive (unstable nuclei that breaks down at a constant rate over time). Compound – when two or more elements are chemically combined Bonds attach one element to another to from a compound The compound has totally different properties than the solo element There are two kids of bonds: Ionic and Covalent Ionic Bonds transfer electrons from one to another to from a neutral compound Covalent Bonds share an electron Mrs. Degl

Oxygen 2. Carbon 3. Hydrogen 4. Nitrogen Did you know that all living things are made up of elements? Can you guess which four elements are the most common in living organisms? Oxygen 2. Carbon 3. Hydrogen 4. Nitrogen Mrs. Degl