http://www.ck12.org Chapter 27. Glossary
27.5 E
effusion
The process of a confined gas escaping through a tiny hole in its container.
electrical potential
A measurement of the ability of a voltaic cell to produce an electric current.
electrochemical cell
Any device that converts chemical energy into electrical energy or electrical energy into chemical energy.
electrochemistry
A branch of chemistry that deals with the interconversion of chemical energy and electrical energy.
electrode
A conductor in a circuit that is used to carry electrons to a nonmetallic part of the circuit.
electrolysis
The process in which electrical energy is used to cause a nonspontaneous chemical reaction to occur.
electrolyte
A compound that conducts an electric current when it is in an aqueous solution or melted.
electrolytic cell
The apparatus used for carrying out an electrolysis reaction.
electromagnetic radiation
A form of energy that exhibits wavelike behavior as it moves through space.
electromagnetic spectrum
All forms of electromagnetic radiation.
electron
Negatively charged subatomic particle present in all atoms.
electron affinity
The energy change that occurs when a neutral atom gains an electron.
electron configuration
The arrangement of all of the electrons of that atom.
electron domain geometry
Geometry based only on the total number of electron pairs around the central atom, both bonding pairs and
lone pairs.
electron dot diagram
A diagram in which the valence electrons of an atom are shown as dots distributed around the element’s
symbol.
electronegativity
A measure of the ability of an atom to attract the electrons when the atom is part of a compound.
electroplating
A process in which a metal ion is reduced in an electrolytic cell and the solid metal is deposited onto a surface.
element
The simplest form of matter that has a unique set of properties.
elementary step
One step in a series of simple reactions that show the progress of a reaction at the molecular level.
empirical formula
A formula that shows the elements in a compound in their lowest whole-number ratio.
emulsion
A colloidal dispersion of a liquid in either a liquid or a solid.
end point