Adhesive Any synthetic product that is used to join materials together; causing adherence; sticky.

Alternative Energy Any source of energy other than fossil fuels that is used for constructive purposes.

Atom The smallest unit of a chemical element, made up of a nucleus surrounded by electrons.

Catalyst A substance that increases or decreases the rate of a chemical reaction without being consumed by the reaction itself.

Chemical Change A change in the chemical composition of a substance to produce a new material with new properties (an example of a chemical change is wood turning to ash and smoke when it burns).

Chemical Engineering The branch of engineering serving industries that chemically convert basic raw materials into a variety of products.

Chemical Properties Characteristics of a substance that determine how it will react with other substances.

Chemical Reaction A chemical change in which one or more substances are changed into one or more new substances.

Chemist A person engaged in chemical research or experiments.

Chemistry The branch of science concerned with the properties and interactions of the substances of which matter is composed.

Compound Substance made up of two or more elements, such as water (H2O), carbon dioxide (CO2), or table sugar (C12H22O11).

Electron Basic particle of negative charge in orbit; around the nucleus in an atom.

Element A pure substance composed of only one type of atom.

Environment The surroundings or conditions in which a person, animal, or plant lives or operates.

Environmental Engineering The branch of engineering that deals with the treatment of chemical, biological, and/or thermal waste, the purification of water and air, and the remediation of contaminated sites due to prior waste disposal or accidental contamination.

Fauna The animals of a particular region, habitat, or geological period.

Flora The plants of a particular region, habitat, or geological period.

Mixture A combination of different things in which the components are individually distinct (e.g., a salad is a mixture of vegetables).

Molecule A group of atoms chemically bonded together, representing the smallest fundamental unit of a compound that can take part in a chemical reaction.

NaCl Sodium chloride, common salt.

Neutron A proton with no charge that is found in the nucleus of an atom.

Nucleus The massive, stable part of the atom that contains both protons and neutrons..

Periodic Table Table of all known chemical elements organized according to their properties.

Petroleum Engineering The application of engineering to the drilling for and production of oil, gas, and liquefiable hydrocarbons.

Pharmaceuticals The chemistry of drugs and other medicinal products.

Physical Change A change that affects the size, shape, or color of a substance but does not affect its composition.

Process Human activities used to create, invent, design, transform, produce, control, maintain, and use products or systems.

Proton Particle with positive charge in the nucleus of an atom.

Synthetic Material Material that is not found in nature, such as glass, concrete, and plastic