CHEM134 COMPREHENSIVE EXAM STUDY
GUIDE COMPLETE QUESTIONS AND
SOLUTIONS
●● volatility
Answer: substance's tendency to vaporize
●● frequency factor (in the Arrhenius Equation)
Answer: Number of times the reactants approach the activation barrier
per unit time
●● elementary step
Answer: A step within the reaction mechanism, which cannot be broken
down into smaller steps. The molecularity of the step can be linked to a
rate law (i.e. first order, second order, zero order)
●● catalyst
Answer: substance that increases the rate of reaction without being
consumed
●● what does the equilibrium constant represent
Answer: the relationship between products and reactants of a reaction at
equilibrium
,●● amphoteric substances
Answer: Substances that can react as both acids and bases, such as H20
and NH3
●● strong acids
Answer: HCl, HBr, HNO3, H2SO4, HClO4
●● weak acids
Answer: carboxylic acids, acetic acid, hydrofluoric acid
●● strong bases
Answer: NaOH, KOH
●● weak bases
Answer: NH3, amines (anything with NH2)
●● functional group
Answer: group of atoms within a molecule having characteristic
chemical behavior
●● alkanes
Answer: saturated, single bonds
, ●● alkenes
Answer: have unsaturated, double bonds
●● alkynes
Answer: have unsaturated, triple bonds
●● arenes
Answer: have alternating double/single bonds, often in an "aromatic
ring"
benzene is an example
●● alcohol
Answer: carbon atom bonded to oxygen of hydroxyl group (-OH)
polar, water soluble
increasing hydrocarbon size decreases solubility
●● carboxylic acid
Answer: -OH group bonded to C and O double bond
GUIDE COMPLETE QUESTIONS AND
SOLUTIONS
●● volatility
Answer: substance's tendency to vaporize
●● frequency factor (in the Arrhenius Equation)
Answer: Number of times the reactants approach the activation barrier
per unit time
●● elementary step
Answer: A step within the reaction mechanism, which cannot be broken
down into smaller steps. The molecularity of the step can be linked to a
rate law (i.e. first order, second order, zero order)
●● catalyst
Answer: substance that increases the rate of reaction without being
consumed
●● what does the equilibrium constant represent
Answer: the relationship between products and reactants of a reaction at
equilibrium
,●● amphoteric substances
Answer: Substances that can react as both acids and bases, such as H20
and NH3
●● strong acids
Answer: HCl, HBr, HNO3, H2SO4, HClO4
●● weak acids
Answer: carboxylic acids, acetic acid, hydrofluoric acid
●● strong bases
Answer: NaOH, KOH
●● weak bases
Answer: NH3, amines (anything with NH2)
●● functional group
Answer: group of atoms within a molecule having characteristic
chemical behavior
●● alkanes
Answer: saturated, single bonds
, ●● alkenes
Answer: have unsaturated, double bonds
●● alkynes
Answer: have unsaturated, triple bonds
●● arenes
Answer: have alternating double/single bonds, often in an "aromatic
ring"
benzene is an example
●● alcohol
Answer: carbon atom bonded to oxygen of hydroxyl group (-OH)
polar, water soluble
increasing hydrocarbon size decreases solubility
●● carboxylic acid
Answer: -OH group bonded to C and O double bond
