Chemistry is a branch of science dealing with chemicals and other minerals. Get to know about the basic organic and inorganic words a beginner chemist should know.
Chemistry Vocabulary Word for Beginners
Following is a list of terms related to chemistry along with their explanation:
- Acid: A chemical substance containing Hydrogen
- Addition Reaction: The reaction in which a molecule combines with another molecule resulting in the formation of a larger molecule
- Alkaline: A substance having the property of an Alkali
- Alkane: A series of saturated hydrocarbons
- Alkene: A series of unsaturated hydrocarbons with a double bond
- Alkyne: A series of unsaturated hydrocarbons with a triple bond
- Amino Acid: Monomers that combine to make proteins
- Anode: An electrode with a positive charge
- Aluminum: A chemical element with atomic number 13, symbol Al. The simple body aluminum is a malleable, silvery metal that is hardly altered by air and is of low density
- Amphoteric: Having characteristics of both an acid and a base and capable of reacting as either
- Arsenic: The chemical element with atomic number 33, whose symbol is As. The corresponding simple body is a silvery crystalline solid
- Atom: A fragment of a chemical component constituting the tiniest quantity able to be associated with another element
- Atomic: Relating to the smallest component of an element
- Base: A chemical substance containing Hydroxide
- Buffer: An aqueous solution with a weak acid and its coupled base
- Balance: Harmonious arrangement or relation of parts within a whole
- Barium: A chemical element with atomic number 56, symbol Ba. Properties similar to those of lime
- Beaker: A glass container (generally in a cylindrical shape) with a flat bottom
- Beryllium: A chemical element with the symbol Be and atomic number 4. The best known gemstones from it are the emerald and the aquamarine
- Calcium: A chemical element with atomic number 20, symbol Ca. It is the fifth most profuse element in the earth’s crust
- Catalyst: A substance that accelerates a chemical reaction without getting affected
- Cathode: An electrode with a negative charge
- Covalent Bond: Bond in which pairs of electrons are shared between atoms
- Carbohydrate: Carbohydrates are a class of organic compounds having the general formula – Cm (H2O)n.
- Carbon: A chemical element with atomic number 6 and symbol C. It possesses three natural isotopes. Two are stable and a third is radioactive with a half-life
- Carbon Black: Carbon black is a nearly pure elemental carbon formed from controlled combustion of petroleum hydrocarbons.
- Carbonate: Carbonate is an ion consisting of one carbon and three oxygen atoms.
- Centrifuge: A centrifuge is a device that induces acceleration by rapid rotation. It is used to accelerate the decantation of separate products of different density
- Cerium: A chemical element with atomic number 58 and symbol Ce. It is part of the lanthanide and rare earth series
- Cesium: A chemical element with atomic number 55, symbol Cs, the most alkaline of the alkali metals
- Chelation: The process of forming a ring by forming one or more hydrogen bonds
- Diffusion: Movement of particles in liquids and gases from high to low concentration areas
- Dilution: The addition of a solvent like water for decreasing the concentration of a chemical
- Endothermic: The reaction which absorbs energy
- Exothermic: A reaction which releases energy
- Einstein: A unit of measurement of the light energy absorbed by one mole of reagent
- Electron: An elementary particle with negative charge
- Electron: A negatively charged particle that comprises the external part of the atom
- Electron volt: An Electron volt is a unit of measurement of energy
- Enzyme: A complex protein produced by cells that acts as a catalyst
- Equation: A mathematical statement that two expressions are the same
- Europium: A chemical element, symbol Eu and atomic number 63. Europium is the most reactive of the rare earth elements
- Flask: A glass container used to prepare solutions.
- Formula: A group of symbols that make a mathematical statement
- Gas-Liquid Contactor: A gas-liquid contactor is used for mass and heat transfer between a gas phase and a liquid phase
- Gold: A chemical element with the atomic number 79, symbol Au. The simple body gold is a noble, precious metal whose color is golden yellow
- Helium: Helium is the chemical element with atomic number 2, symbol He. Helium has two stable isotopes: helium 4, and less abundant helium 3. The various uses of Helium is growing rapidly
- Hydrogen: Hydrogen is the chemical element with atomic number 1, symbol H. It is formed of three isotopes: Protium, Deuterium and Tritium,Tte latest is radioactive
- Inflammable: Inflammable is an older term identical to flammable, which is a property of a material relating how easily the material ignites or sustains a combustion reaction
- Indicator: A substance that indicates a sign using a color change
- Inorganic Compound: A compound without carbon and hydrogen
- Ionic Bond: When a positive electron bonds with a negative electron
- Ion: An ion is an atom or molecule that has gained or lost one or more electrons.
- Isomer: A compound that exists in forms having different arrangements of atoms but the same molecular weight
- Lone Pair: A pair of electrons which are not in bonding
- Lanthanum: A chemical element, with symbol La and atomic number 57. Lanthanum remained concealed in cerium oxide for a very long time
- Lead: A chemical element with atomic number 82, symbol Pb. Usually, the simple body lead is a malleable, bluish-grey metal, which gradually bleaches on oxidation. It is poisonous, mutagenic and dangerous for reproduction
- Ligand: A substance that forms a complex around a central atom
- Lithium: A chemical element with atomic number 3, symbol Li. It is an alkali metal
- Litmus: A coloring material that turns red in acid solutions
- Magnesium: It is the ninth most abundant element in the universe. As a result from the successive sum of three helium nuclei to one carbon nucleus
- Mercury: Mercury is the chemical element with atomic number 80, symbol Hg. The simple body mercury is a metal, liquid and slightly viscous. It was once used for thermometers and batteries
- Molal: Designating a solution containing one mole of solute per kilogram of solvent
- Molarity: Concentration measured by molecular weight of a substance
- Molecular: Relating to the simplest units of an element or compound
- Molecule: A set of at least two atoms, identical or not, chemically attached to each other
- Neutralization Reaction: A reaction in which the result is salt and water
- Naphtha: Naphtha refers to a mixture of hydrocarbons forming a flammable liquid. Naphtha is typically produced from the distillation of petroleum or coal tar
- Neon: Neon is the chemical element with atomic number 10, symbol Ne. It is one of the most abundant elements in the universe, but it is rare on earth, it is present mainly in the earth’s atmosphere and in some minor quantities in rocks
- Neutron: An elementary particle, constitutive of the atomic nucleus. One exception is the normal hydrogen nucleus. It is electrically neutral
- Nitrogen: Nitrogen is the chemical element with atomic number 7, symbol N. The minerals containing nitrogen are predominantly nitrates. It is mainly used for industrial purposes
- Nucleus: The internal part of an atom. It is composed of neutrons and protons
- Oxygen: Oxygen is the chemical element with atomic number 8, symbol O. It is the third most abundant element in the universe and constitutes 62.5% of the mass of the human body
- Organic Compound: A compound that has one or more carbon atoms in it
- Oxidation: Loss of electrons and gain of oxygen in a reaction
- Periodic Table: A table which displays chemical elements
- Polymer: A chemical compound with chains of molecules
- Paraffin: Paraffin is a waxy substance made up of a mixture of alkanes with a total number of carbon atoms between 20 and 40
- Phosphorus: Phosphorus is the chemical element with atomic number 15, symbol P. White phosphorus emits, by chemiluminescence, visible light in the dark when exposed to air. Due to a rapid decrease in resources, it is classified as a critical mineral raw material
- Pipette: A pipette is a tool used to sample a solution
- Plutonium: A chemical element with the symbol Pu and atomic number 94. It is a transuranic radioactive metal of the actinide group
- Positron: An elementary particle with positive charge
- Potassium: An atomic element with atomic number 19, symbol K, alkali metal found in potash
- Proton: A particle that makes up the nucleus of an atom and has a positive charge identical to that of the electron
- Quark: Fundamental subatomic particle that has a fractional charge
- Radon: Radon is the chemical element with atomic number 86, symbol Rn. All the known isotopes of this gas are radioactive
- Redox Reaction: A reaction which includes both oxidation as well as reduction
- Reaction: An idea evoked by some experience
- Refractometer: It measures the limiting angle of refraction of a material
- Silicon: Silicon is the chemical element with atomic number 14, symbol Si. It is a tetravalent metalloid and is the most abundant element in the earth’s crust after oxygen
- Silver: Silver is the chemical element with atomic number 47, symbol Ag. Between copper and gold. Hardly or not ox disable in air, all three are used to mint coins
- Substrate: The material that is acted upon by an enzyme
- Sulfur: It is the chemical element with atomic number 16, symbol S. It is an essential element for all living beings. It is used mainly to prepare sulphuric acid which is the basic product of the chemical industry
- Tin: Tin is the chemical element with atomic number 50, symbol Sn. It has been used since ancient times to protect tableware from oxidation and to prepare bronze
- Titanium: Titanium is the chemical element with atomic number 22, symbol Ti. It is used in light and strong alloys and its main sources are rutile and anatase
- Tungsten: A chemical element with atomic Number 74, symbol W It is used in its pure form in electrical applications but in the shape of alloys, it is suitable for the production of tools requiring great hardness such as drills, abrasive powders etc.
- Uranium: A chemical element with atomic number 92, symbol U. It is of the actinide family. It is a very long-life radioactive heavy metal
- Valency: It is the measure of the number of chemical bonds an atom of a particular element can form
- Zinc: A chemical element with atomic number 30 and symbol Zn. It has five stable natural isotopes a chemical element with atomic number 30 and symbol Zn. It has five stable natural isotopes
- Zirconium: Zirconium is the chemical element with atomic number 40, symbol Zr. It is a transition metal and the most aged of all elements on earth
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