IGCSE Glossary

Glossaries - GCSE chemistry

Louis Pasteur; 27 December 1822 – 28 September 1895) was a French chemist and microbiologist renowned for his discoveries of the principles of vaccination, microbial fermentation, and pasteurization. His research in chemistry led to remarkable breakthroughs in the understanding of the causes and preventions of diseases, which laid down the foundations of hygiene, public health and much of modern medicine.

Glossaries - GCSE chemistry

A lithosphere is the rigid, outermost shell of a terrestrial-type planet or natural satellite. On Earth, it is composed of the crust and the portion of the upper mantle that behaves elastically on time scales of thousands of years or greater. The crust and upper mantle are distinguished on the basis of chemistry and mineralogy.

Glossaries - GCSE chemistry

The hydrosphere is the combined mass of water found on, under, and above the surface of a planet, minor planet, or natural satellite. Although Earth's hydrosphere has been around for about 4 billion years, it continues to change in shape.

Glossaries - GCSE chemistry

 A hydrocarbon is a  compound whose molecules are made up of atoms of carbon and hydrogen only.

The image shows a model of a molecule of methane - the simplest hydrocarbon.

Glossaries - GCSE chemistry

Any molecule composed only of carbon and hydrogen atoms.

Glossaries - GCSE chemistry

This is a molecule made of both a protein and a carbohydrate. They are commonly found attached to the outside of a cell membrane.

Glossaries - GCSE chemistry

A grouping of atoms which is responsible for the specific properties of a molecule

Glossaries - GCSE chemistry

easily set on fire

Glossaries - GCSE chemistry

A chemical reaction that releases energy through light or heat.

Glossaries - GCSE chemistry

Ethanol is the second member of the homologous series known as the alcohols. It has the formula C₂H₅OH

It is the "alcohol" in alcoholic drinks

Glossaries - GCSE chemistry

An enzyme is a type of protein that speeds up the rate of chemical reactions.

Glossaries - GCSE chemistry

An enzyme is a type of protein that speeds up the rate of chemical reactions.

Glossaries - GCSE chemistry

a way in

Glossaries - GCSE chemistry

The empirical formula of a substance gives the simplest whole number ratio of atoms in that substance.

For example glucose has the molecular formula C₆H₁₂O₆ but its empirical fomula is CH₂O

Glossaries - GCSE chemistry

All the atoms in an element have the same atomic number.

The elements are listed in the periodic table in order of increasing atomic number.