A2 Chemistry Definitions

Here is a list of all the definitions you have to know for A2 Chemistry paper 4. You will do well to  memorise all of them.

  1. Ka - Equilibrium constant for the dissociation of a weak acid.
  2. Bidentate - Ligand that forms 2 dative bonds with a transition metal ion.
  3. Buffer - A solution that resists changes in pH when small amounts of acids and bases are added.
  4. Chelates - Complexes with polydentate ligands.
  5. Common ion effect - The effect of precipitating an ionic compound when the equilibrium is affected by the addition of a common ion to the system.
  6. Complex ion - A central transition metal ion that is surrounded by ligands bonded to it via dative bonds.
  7. Degenerate orbitals - A set of orbitals of exactly the same energy level.
  8. Entropy - The total number of possible arrangements of particles and their energy in a system.
  9. Enthalpy change of solution - Enthalpy change when 1 mol of a substance dissolves in water to form a dilute solution.
  10. Enthalpy change of atomisation - Enthalpy change when 1 mol of an element in its standard state is atomised to form 1 mol of gaseous atoms.
  11. Enthalpy change of hydration - Enthalpy change when 1 mol of gaseous ions dissolves in water to form a very dilute solution.
  12. Faraday constant - Electric charge needed to produce 1 mol of atoms of a product from singly charged ions during electrolysis.
  13. First electron affinity - Energy released when 1 mol of gaseous atoms each accepts an e- to form 1 mol of gaseous ions with a single negative charge.
  14. Half-life - Time taken for the concentration of a reactant to decrease to half of its initial value.
  15. Ionic product of water - Equilibrium constant for the dissociation of water.
  16. Isoelectric point - pH at which an amino acid is neutral.
  17. Ligand - A species that contains a lone pair of e- that forms a coordinate bond to a central metal ion.
  18. Monodentate - A ligand that donates a single lone pair of e- to form a dative bond with a transition metal ion.
  19. Non-degenerate orbitals - A set of orbitals split into groups with slightly different energy levels.
  20. Order of a reaction - Power to which the concentration of a reactant is raised in the rate equation.
  21. Overall order of a reaction - The sum of the powers of all reactants in the rate equation.
  22. Partition coefficient - The ratio of the concentrations of a solute in two immiscible liquids at dynamic equilibrium.
  23. Polydentate ligand - A ligand that donates two or more lone pairs to form 2 or more dative bonds with a transition metal ion.
  24. Rate determining step - Slowest step in the reaction mechanism.
  25. Solvent front - Furthest point reached by a solvent in paper or TLC.
  26. Stability constant - Equilibrium constant for the formation of a complex ion.
  27. Standard cell potential - Voltage when two standard cells are connected together.
  28. Standard electrode potential - Voltage of a half-cell when connected to a standard hydrogen electrode in standard conditions.
  29. Standard hydrogen electrode - Electrode consisting of a platinum metal dipped in a solution of 1 mol dm⁻³ H⁺ ions through which H₂(g) is bubbled at 298K and 1 atm.
  30. Stationary phase - Solid or porous solid used in chromatography to separate mixtures.
  31. Retention time - Time taken for a component in a mixture to pass through a chromatography column.
  32. Thin layer chromatography - Chromatography technique where the stationary phase is a glass, metal, or plastic sheet coated with a thin layer of porous solid.
  33. Zwitterion - A molecule with both a permanent positive and negative charge.