Chemistry Definition
Chemical change
A change in the chemical composition or make-up of a substance.
Physical change
A change in the form or physical properties of a substance, without a chemical reaction or the creation of a new substance.
Pure substance
A chemical combination of matter in definite (fixed) properties.
Molecules
A chemical combination of two or more atoms in definite (fixed) properties.
Surfactants
A contraction of surface active agents; substances that allow oil and water to mix, or emulsify.
Alkaline solution
A solution that has a pH above 7.0 (neutral).
Acidic solution
A solution that has a pH below 7.0 (neutral).
Solution
A stable physical mixture of two or more substances.
Volatile alcohols
Alcohols that evaporate easily.
Alkanolamines
Alkaline substances used to neutralize acids or raise the pH of many hair products.
Compounds molecule
Also known as compounds; a chemical combination of two or more atoms of different element in definite (fixed) properties.
Oxidation-reduction
Also known as redox; a chemical reaction in which the oxidizing agent is reduced (by losing oxygen) and the reducing agent is oxidized (by gaining oxygen).
Emulsifier
An ingredient that brings two normally incompatible materials together and binds them into a uniform and fairly stable blend.
Emulsion
An unstable physical mixture of two or more immiscible substances (substances that normally will not stay blended) plus a special ingredient called an emulsifier.
Matter
Any substance that occupies space and has mass (weight).
Ammonia
Colorless gas with a pungent odor that is composed of hydrogen and nitrogen.
Miscible
Liquids that are mutually soluble, meaning that they can be mixed together to form stable solutions.
Immiscible
Liquids that are not capable of being mixed together to form stable solutions.
Combustion
Rapid oxidation of a substance, accompanied by the production of heat and light.
Chemistry
Science that deals with the composition, structures, and properties of matter, and how matter changes under different conditions.
Silicones
Special types of oil used in hair conditioners, water-resistant lubricants for the skin, and nail polish dryer.
Glycerin
Sweet, colorless, oily substance used as a solvent and as a moisturizer in skin and body creams.
pH
The abbreviation used for potential hydrogen. pH represents the quantity of hydrogen ions.
Reduction
The process through which oxygen is subtracted from or hydrogen is added to a substance through a chemical reaction.
Element
The simplest form of chemical matter; an element cannot be broken down into a simpler substance without a loss of identity.
Atoms
The smallest chemical components (often called particles) of an element; structures that make up the element and have the same properties of the element.
Organic chemistry
The study of substances that contain the element carbon.
Inorganic chemistry
The study of substances that do not contain the element carbon, but may contain the element hydrogen.
Solvent
The substance that dissolves the solute and makes a solution.
Solute
The substance that is dissolved in a solution.
Suspension
Unstable physical mixtures of undissolved particles in a liquid.
