Chemistry Vocabulary

matter anything that has mass and takes up space

physical properties the characteristics of a substance that can be observed or measured without changing the substance

solid the state of matter that has a definite shape and definite volume

liquid the state of matter that has a definite volume but no definite shape (liquids take the shape of their container)

gas the state of matter that has no definite shape or volume

mass the amount of matter in an object (measured using a balance)

weight the measure of the pull of gravity on an object (measured using a scale)

volume the amount of space an object takes up (measured using a graduated cylinder, beaker or flask)

density the concentration of matter in an object (a golf ball is more dense than a ping-pong ball)

evaporation the process by which a liquid changes to a gas

condensation the process by which a gas changes into a liquid

freezing point the temperature at which a substance changes from a liquid to a solid

melting point the temperature at which a substance changes from a solid to a liquid

boiling point the temperature at which a substance changes from a liquid to a gas

solubility the ability of one substance to be dissolved in another substance

reactivity the ability of a substance to go through a chemical change

combustibility the chemical property of being able to burn

mixture a combination of two or more different kinds of matter where each kind of matter keeps its own physical properties

solution a type of mixture where one substance dissolves in another and the particles of the two substances are evenly mixed and not easily separated