C371: Concepts in Science (WGU)
Matter - ANS Defined as anything that occupies space and has mass; all around us.
Solids - ANS rigid and possesses a definite shape
Liquids - ANS Flows and takes the shape of a container.
Gases - ANS Takes both the shape and volume of its container.
Mass - ANS A measure of the amount of matter in an object
Weight - ANS A measure of the gravitational force exerted on an object.
Law of Conservation of Mass - ANS Matter is not created nor destroyed in any chemical or
physical change
Pure Substances - ANS A sample of matter, either a single element or a single compound, that
has definite chemical and physical properties. Constant composition.
Elements - ANS any substance that cannot be broken down into simpler substances
Compounds - ANS a thing that is composed of two or more separate elements that can be
broken down by chemical changes.
Mixtures - ANS A combination of two or more substances that are not chemically combined;
can be separated by physical changes, such as evaporation.
heterogeneous mixture - ANS A mixture with a composition that varies from point to point.
homogeneous mixture - ANS (also, solution) combination of substances with a composition that
is uniform throughout
physical property - ANS A characteristic of a pure substance that can be observed without
changing it into another substance.
physical change - ANS A change in a substance that does not change its identity or chemical
composition.
chemical property - ANS A characteristic of a pure substance that describes its ability to change
into different substances
, chemical change - ANS A change in matter that produces one or more new substances
extensive property - ANS a property that depends on the amount of matter in a sample
intensive property - ANS a physical property that remains the same no matter how much of a
substance is present
Energy - ANS capacity to supply heat or do work- one type of work is the process of causing
matter to move against an opposing force.
Potential Energy - ANS stored energy that results from the position or shape of an object
Kinetic energy - ANS the energy of an object that is due to the object's motion
thermal energy - ANS Kinetic energy associated with the random movement of molecules or
atoms.
Temperature - ANS a quantity that measures the kinetic energy per molecule due to random
motion, (hot or cold)
Heat - ANS the transfer of thermal energy from one object to another because of a difference in
temperature
Atom - ANS Smallest particle of an element; from the Greek 'atomos', meaning "indivisible"
Molecule - ANS two or more atoms held together by chemical bonds
Atomic mass (amu) - ANS one twelfth the mass of a carbon-12 atom; the number of protons
plus the number of neutrons;
Atomic Number - ANS the number of protons in the nucleus of an atom
mass number (atomic mass) - ANS The sum of protons and neutrons in the nucleus of an atom
Ion - ANS An atom or group of atoms that has a positive or negative charge.
Atomic charge= number of protons -number of electrons.
Anion - ANS an ion with a negative charge
cation - ANS an ion with a positive charge
chemical symbol - ANS a one-, two-, or three-letter abbreviation of the name of an element
Matter - ANS Defined as anything that occupies space and has mass; all around us.
Solids - ANS rigid and possesses a definite shape
Liquids - ANS Flows and takes the shape of a container.
Gases - ANS Takes both the shape and volume of its container.
Mass - ANS A measure of the amount of matter in an object
Weight - ANS A measure of the gravitational force exerted on an object.
Law of Conservation of Mass - ANS Matter is not created nor destroyed in any chemical or
physical change
Pure Substances - ANS A sample of matter, either a single element or a single compound, that
has definite chemical and physical properties. Constant composition.
Elements - ANS any substance that cannot be broken down into simpler substances
Compounds - ANS a thing that is composed of two or more separate elements that can be
broken down by chemical changes.
Mixtures - ANS A combination of two or more substances that are not chemically combined;
can be separated by physical changes, such as evaporation.
heterogeneous mixture - ANS A mixture with a composition that varies from point to point.
homogeneous mixture - ANS (also, solution) combination of substances with a composition that
is uniform throughout
physical property - ANS A characteristic of a pure substance that can be observed without
changing it into another substance.
physical change - ANS A change in a substance that does not change its identity or chemical
composition.
chemical property - ANS A characteristic of a pure substance that describes its ability to change
into different substances
, chemical change - ANS A change in matter that produces one or more new substances
extensive property - ANS a property that depends on the amount of matter in a sample
intensive property - ANS a physical property that remains the same no matter how much of a
substance is present
Energy - ANS capacity to supply heat or do work- one type of work is the process of causing
matter to move against an opposing force.
Potential Energy - ANS stored energy that results from the position or shape of an object
Kinetic energy - ANS the energy of an object that is due to the object's motion
thermal energy - ANS Kinetic energy associated with the random movement of molecules or
atoms.
Temperature - ANS a quantity that measures the kinetic energy per molecule due to random
motion, (hot or cold)
Heat - ANS the transfer of thermal energy from one object to another because of a difference in
temperature
Atom - ANS Smallest particle of an element; from the Greek 'atomos', meaning "indivisible"
Molecule - ANS two or more atoms held together by chemical bonds
Atomic mass (amu) - ANS one twelfth the mass of a carbon-12 atom; the number of protons
plus the number of neutrons;
Atomic Number - ANS the number of protons in the nucleus of an atom
mass number (atomic mass) - ANS The sum of protons and neutrons in the nucleus of an atom
Ion - ANS An atom or group of atoms that has a positive or negative charge.
Atomic charge= number of protons -number of electrons.
Anion - ANS an ion with a negative charge
cation - ANS an ion with a positive charge
chemical symbol - ANS a one-, two-, or three-letter abbreviation of the name of an element
