💨 States of Matter & Solutions
109 chemistry topics in States of Matter & Solutions, from beginner to intermediate to advanced level. Each topic has a clear explanation, a worked example, frequently asked questions and an interactive lesson.
Beginner topics in States of Matter & Solutions (38)
- States of MatterMatter commonly exists as solid, liquid or gas, differing in particle spacing, motion and…
- Kinetic Molecular TheoryGas particles move randomly in constant motion, with negligible volume and collisions…
- PlasmaAn ionized gas of free ions and electrons, the most common visible state of matter in the…
- PressureForce exerted per unit area, measured in pascals, atmospheres or mmHg.
- BarometerAn instrument measuring atmospheric pressure, standard value 760 mmHg or 101.325 kPa.
- Standard Temperature and PressureReference conditions for gases, commonly 0 degrees Celsius and 1 atm, where one mole…
- Boyle's LawAt constant temperature, the volume of a gas is inversely proportional to its pressure.
- Charles's LawAt constant pressure, gas volume is directly proportional to its absolute temperature.
- Gay-Lussac's LawAt constant volume, gas pressure is directly proportional to its absolute temperature.
- Avogadro's LawEqual volumes of gases at same temperature and pressure contain equal numbers of…
- Combined Gas LawCombines Boyle, Charles and Gay-Lussac laws: P1V1/T1 equals P2V2/T2.
- Ideal Gas LawPV equals nRT, relating pressure, volume, moles and temperature of an ideal gas.
- Gas ConstantThe universal constant R equals 8.314 J per mole per kelvin or 0.0821 L atm per mole per…
- Absolute ZeroThe lowest possible temperature, 0 K or -273.15 degrees Celsius, where particle motion is…
- Dalton's Law of Partial PressuresTotal pressure of a gas mixture equals the sum of the partial pressures of its components.
- DiffusionSpontaneous mixing of particles due to random motion from high to low concentration.
- Molar VolumeOne mole of any ideal gas occupies 22.414 L at STP.
- Liquid StateParticles are close together but mobile, so liquids flow and take the container's shape.
- Vapor PressureThe pressure exerted by a vapor in equilibrium with its liquid at a given temperature.
- EvaporationEscape of higher-energy molecules from a liquid surface into the vapor phase.
- Boiling PointThe temperature at which a liquid's vapor pressure equals the external pressure.
- Normal Boiling PointThe boiling temperature at exactly 1 atm pressure.
- Cohesion and AdhesionCohesion is attraction between like molecules; adhesion is attraction to other substances.
- MeniscusThe curved liquid surface in a tube, concave for water and convex for mercury.
- Heating CurveA graph of temperature versus heat added showing plateaus at phase changes.
- SublimationDirect change from solid to gas without passing through the liquid phase.
- DepositionDirect change from gas to solid.
- Crystalline SolidsSolids with a regular repeating arrangement of particles.
- Amorphous SolidsSolids such as glass lacking long-range order.
- SolutionA homogeneous mixture of solute dissolved in a solvent.
- Solute and SolventThe solvent is the component present in greater amount; the solute is dissolved in it.
- SolubilityThe maximum amount of solute that dissolves in a given solvent at a certain temperature.
- Saturated Unsaturated SupersaturatedSolutions contain the maximum, less than the maximum, or more than the equilibrium amount…
- Like Dissolves LikePolar solutes dissolve in polar solvents and nonpolar solutes in nonpolar solvents.
- MolarityMoles of solute per litre of solution.
- Mass PercentMass of solute divided by mass of solution times 100.
- Parts Per MillionMilligrams of solute per kilogram or litre of solution, used for trace concentrations.
- DilutionAdding solvent to lower concentration, using M1V1 equals M2V2.
Intermediate topics in States of Matter & Solutions (43)
- Mole FractionThe ratio of moles of one component to total moles in a mixture.
- Gas Collection Over WaterGas collected over water is mixed with water vapor, so its pressure equals total minus…
- Graham's Law of EffusionThe rate of effusion of a gas is inversely proportional to the square root of its molar…
- EffusionEscape of gas molecules through a tiny hole into a vacuum.
- Root Mean Square SpeedA typical molecular speed equal to the square root of 3RT over molar mass.
- Maxwell-Boltzmann DistributionDescribes the spread of molecular speeds in a gas, broadening and shifting with…
- Average Kinetic Energy of GasAverage translational kinetic energy equals three halves kT, depending only on…
- Gas DensityDensity of an ideal gas equals PM divided by RT.
- Gas StoichiometryUsing the ideal gas law to link gas volumes with reaction mole ratios.
- Real GasesGases deviate from ideal behaviour at high pressure and low temperature due to molecular…
- Critical TemperatureThe temperature above which a gas cannot be liquefied by pressure alone.
- Liquefaction of GasesGases condense when cooled below critical temperature and compressed.
- ViscosityA liquid's resistance to flow, generally decreasing with rising temperature.
- Surface TensionThe energy required to increase a liquid's surface area, caused by cohesive forces.
- Capillary ActionLiquid rising in narrow tubes due to adhesion with walls exceeding cohesion.
- Enthalpy of VaporizationHeat required to convert one mole of liquid to vapor at constant temperature.
- Enthalpy of FusionHeat required to melt one mole of solid at its melting point.
- Phase DiagramA plot of pressure versus temperature showing regions of stable phases and their…
- Triple PointThe unique temperature and pressure at which solid, liquid and gas coexist in equilibrium.
- Critical PointThe end of the liquid-gas boundary beyond which a supercritical fluid exists.
- Phase Diagram of WaterWater's solid-liquid line slopes backward, so ice melts under increased pressure.
- Unit CellThe smallest repeating unit that builds the entire crystal lattice through translation.
- Simple Cubic LatticeAtoms at the corners of a cube with coordination number 6 and packing efficiency 52…
- Body-Centered CubicAtoms at corners and one in the center, coordination number 8 and packing efficiency 68…
- Face-Centered CubicAtoms at corners and face centers, coordination number 12 and packing efficiency 74…
- MolalityMoles of solute per kilogram of solvent, independent of temperature.
- NormalityEquivalents of solute per litre of solution.
- Henry's LawThe solubility of a gas in a liquid is proportional to its partial pressure above the…
- Temperature and SolubilitySolubility of most solids increases with temperature while that of gases decreases.
- Raoult's LawThe vapor pressure of a solvent in solution equals its mole fraction times its pure vapor…
- Colligative PropertiesProperties depending on number of solute particles, not their identity.
- Boiling Point ElevationA dissolved nonvolatile solute raises the boiling point by Kb times molality.
- Freezing Point DepressionA dissolved solute lowers the freezing point by Kf times molality.
- OsmosisNet movement of solvent through a semipermeable membrane toward higher solute…
- Osmotic PressureThe pressure needed to stop osmosis, equal to MRT.
- ColloidsMixtures with particles of 1 to 1000 nm that scatter light but do not settle.
- Tyndall EffectScattering of a light beam by colloidal particles making the beam visible.
- Brownian MotionRandom zigzag movement of colloidal particles caused by molecular collisions.
- EmulsionsColloids of one liquid dispersed in another, such as milk and mayonnaise.
- Gels and SolsA sol is a solid dispersed in liquid; a gel is a liquid trapped in a solid network.
- AlloysMetallic mixtures such as brass and steel with properties tailored from the base metals.
- Dissolution EnthalpyHeat change when a solute dissolves, determined by lattice and solvation energies.
- Solvation and HydrationSurrounding of solute particles by solvent molecules or specifically water.
Advanced topics in States of Matter & Solutions (28)
- Bose-Einstein CondensateA state of matter formed at temperatures near absolute zero in which atoms occupy the…
- Van der Waals EquationCorrects the ideal gas law with constants a for attractions and b for molecular volume.
- Compressibility FactorThe ratio PV over nRT, equal to 1 for ideal gases and deviating for real gases.
- Joule-Thomson EffectTemperature change of a real gas when expanded through a valve at constant enthalpy.
- Clausius-Clapeyron EquationRelates vapor pressure to temperature through the enthalpy of vaporization.
- Supercritical FluidsSubstances above critical temperature and pressure with properties of both liquid and…
- Hexagonal Close PackingA close-packed ABAB layer sequence with coordination number 12 and efficiency 74 percent.
- Packing EfficiencyThe fraction of a unit cell's volume occupied by atoms.
- Tetrahedral and Octahedral VoidsGaps between close-packed spheres that can host smaller ions in crystals.
- Crystal SystemsSeven categories such as cubic, tetragonal and hexagonal classified by unit cell axes and…
- Bravais LatticesFourteen distinct three-dimensional lattice types.
- X-ray Diffraction and Bragg's LawCrystal structure is determined from diffraction of X-rays, with n lambda equals 2 d sin…
- Crystal DefectsImperfections such as vacancies, interstitials, Schottky and Frenkel defects affect solid…
- Schottky DefectMissing cation-anion pairs from a lattice, lowering density.
- Frenkel DefectA cation moves to an interstitial site, leaving a vacancy without changing density.
- Liquid CrystalsMaterials with order between liquid and crystal, used in displays.
- Ideal and Non-ideal SolutionsIdeal solutions obey Raoult's law; deviations arise from unlike intermolecular…
- AzeotropesMixtures that boil at constant composition and cannot be separated by simple distillation.
- Reverse OsmosisApplying pressure greater than osmotic pressure to force solvent out of concentrated…
- van't Hoff FactorThe number of particles a solute produces in solution, correcting colligative formulas…
- Abnormal Molar MassDissociation or association of solutes causes measured molar masses to differ from…
- MicellesAggregates of soap or detergent molecules with hydrophobic cores and hydrophilic…
- AdsorptionAccumulation of molecules on a surface, important in catalysis and purification.
- Freundlich IsothermAn empirical relation between amount adsorbed and pressure.
- Langmuir IsothermA model of monolayer adsorption on a fixed number of equivalent surface sites.
- CoagulationAggregation of colloidal particles, often caused by adding electrolytes.
- Hardy-Schulze RuleCoagulating power of ions increases with their charge.
- Solid SolutionsHomogeneous solid mixtures such as alloys.
Frequently asked questions about States of Matter & Solutions
How many topics are in States of Matter & Solutions?
States of Matter & Solutions has 109 topics, from beginner to intermediate to advanced level.
Where should I start in States of Matter & Solutions?
Start with States of Matter at the beginner level, then work through the topics in order.
Does every topic have an explanation and an example?
Yes. Each topic page has an in-depth explanation, a worked example, FAQs and links to related topics.