Your complete chemistry dictionary and glossary, with clear, accurate definitions of chemistry terms and concepts, for students, teachers, and the endlessly curious. Answer first, then the detail, an example, key facts, and the questions people actually ask.
Every term is filed under the branch of chemistry it belongs to, so you can wander a subject or jump straight to a definition.
The foundational ideas every chemist relies on: atoms, elements, compounds, the mole, states of matter, and the language of chemical formulas.
Explore topic →543 termsHow and why chemical change happens: thermodynamics, kinetics, equilibrium, electrochemistry, and quantum theory applied to atoms and molecules.
Explore topic →164 termsIdentifying what a sample contains and how much: titration, spectroscopy, chromatography, and the instruments behind accurate measurement.
Explore topic →138 termsElements and their compounds beyond carbon chains: metals, minerals, acids and bases, coordination complexes, and periodic trends.
Explore topic →107 termsThe chemistry of carbon compounds: hydrocarbons, functional groups, isomerism, and the reactions that build fuels, plastics, and life.
Explore topic →45 termsThe chemistry of living things: proteins, enzymes, carbohydrates, lipids, and nucleic acids, and the reactions that power cells.
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