Core general chemistry concepts spanning atomic structure, bonding, and reactions tested on the CLEP Chemistry exam. Front: the term or formula. Back: definition or formula with a brief usage note.
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- Atom
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The smallest unit of an element that retains the chemical properties of that element.- Proton
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A positively charged particle found in the nucleus of an atom.- Neutron
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An uncharged particle found in the nucleus of an atom, alongside protons.- Electron
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A negatively charged particle that occupies the space surrounding an atom's nucleus.- Atomic number
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The number of protons in an atom's nucleus, which identifies the element.- Mass number
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The total number of protons and neutrons in an atom's nucleus.- Isotope
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An atom of the same element with a different number of neutrons, and therefore a different mass number.- Valence electron
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An electron in an atom's outermost shell, primarily responsible for chemical bonding.- Electron configuration
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The specific arrangement of electrons in an atom's energy levels and sublevels.- Periodic table group
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A vertical column of the periodic table whose elements share similar valence electron counts and properties.- Periodic table period
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A horizontal row of the periodic table whose elements have the same number of electron shells.- Ionization energy
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The energy required to remove an electron from a gaseous atom, generally increasing across a period.- Electronegativity
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A measure of an atom's tendency to attract shared electrons in a chemical bond.- Atomic radius trend
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Atomic radius generally decreases across a period and increases down a group.- Ionic bond
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A bond formed by the transfer of electrons between atoms, creating oppositely charged ions that attract each other.
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