IB Chemistry Topic 5 & 15 Definitions

This page contains our IB Chemistry definitions for topic 5 & 15. By learning each one of these definitions, you will fully cover the content for IB Chemistry 'How Much, Fast & Far'.
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activation energy

The minimum collision energy required for successful collision, dependent on a particle's kinetic energy

catalyst

A substance that increases rate without changing itself by providing an area for reactants to come into proper orientation to lower the activation energy

closed system

A reaction environment that conserves mass and energy. This means no reactants or products can exit into the surroundings. 

concentration

Mass or moles per unit volume, expressed as g/dm3 or mol/dm3

density

Mass per unit volume of pure substance, expressed as g/dm3

dynamic equilibrium

A state of a closed system wherein the rates of the forward and reverse reactions are equal, maintaing the concentratino of products and reactants

equilibrium

A state of a closed system when the concentration of products and reactants remains constant

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equilibrium

The state of all forces on an object being balanced and cancelling out to zero

experimental yield

The actual amount of product formed during the experiment

limiting reagent

The reactant that produces the least product according to the molar ratio

maximum yield

The maximum amount of product that can be created

non-reversible reactions

A reaction that can only occur forwards to convert reactants to products


 

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order of a reactant

The effect a reactant's concentration has on the rate of the reaction

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order of a reaction

The sum of the orders of all the reactants in the rate

percentage yield

The percentage of the theoretically maximum yield that is experimentally produced

phase equilibrium

An equilibrium between phase changes for example between liquid and gas. The overall concentration of products and reactants remains the same. 

 


 

Rate of Reaction

Measure of the change in concentration over change in time

reversible reaction

A reaction that can occur forwards to convert reactants to products and reverse to convert products to reactants


 

solute

A substance used to form a solution by being dissolved by a solvent

solution

A mixture of a solute dissolved in a solvent

solvent

A substance used to form a solution by dissolving a solute

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spontaneity

The ease with which a reaction occurs

standard solution

A solution with a known concentration

theoretical yield

The predicted amount of product formed in the equation

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