Chemical Terms & Definitions

Common terms used throughout this application:

Atomic Number

The number of protons found in the nucleus of an atom, identifying the chemical element.

Atomic Mass

The weighted average mass of the isotopes of an element, measured in atomic mass units (u).

Electronegativity

A measure of the tendency of an atom to attract a bonding pair of electrons.

Electron Configuration

The distribution of electrons of an atom or molecule in atomic or molecular orbitals.

Ionization Energy

The energy required to remove the most loosely bound electron from an isolated gaseous atom.