1. By what order of magnitude is an atom larger than its nucleus?
2. What equation describes the relationship between mass and energy?
3. Which particles determine the atomic number of the nucleus? Which determine the atomic weight?
4. Why do we say that most of the mass of an atom is in the nucleus?
5. Why did scientists postulate the existence of the neutron?
6. What is an isotope?
7. Explain the term half-life.
8. What is radiometric dating? What is the most commonly used isotope in the radiometric dating of previously living organisms? Why must geologists use potassium-40 and uranium-238 to date the oldest fossils?
9. How can we obtain energy from nuclear fission?
10. How do fusion reactions produce energy?
11. How does cooking affect polymers? Why else might we cook our food?
12. Which do you think would incur higher health risks: an amount of radioactive material with a short half-life, or the same amount of radioactive material with a relatively long half-life? Why?
13 When is an electron a valence electron? Why are valence electrons especially important in chemical reactions?
14 Describe the ionic bond. What sorts of materials have ionic bonds?
15. Describe the metallic bond. What properties of metal follow from the properties of the bond?
16. Describe the covalent bond. Give an example of the material that uses it.
17. Describe the hydrogen bond. Explain how a neutral molecules can become polar.
18. Identify common changes of state and give examples of each.
19. In what sense are oxidation and reduction reactions opposites?
20. What is polymerization? Give an example.
21. What is an isomer? Do all isomers have the same chemical properties?
22. What are hydrocarbons? For what are they widely used?