Glossary of Chemistry Terms - E

E

• earth metal - see alkaline earth metal
• electrolyte - a solution that conducts a certain amount of current and can be split categorically as weak and strong electrlytes
• electrochemical cell - using a chemical reaction's current, electromotive force is made
• electromagnetic radiation - a type of wave that can go through vacuums as well as material and classified as a self-propagating wave
• electromagnetism - fields that have electric charge and electric properties that change the way that particles move and interact
• electromotive force - a device that gains energy as electric charges pass through it
• electron - a subatomic particle with a net charge that is negative
• electron shells - an orbital around the atom's nucleus that has a fixed number electrons (usually two or eight)
• electric charge - a measured property (coulombs) that determine electromagnetic interaction
• element - an atom that is defined by its atomic number
• energy - A system's ability to do work
• enthalpy - measure of the total energy of a thermodynamic system (usually symbolized as H)
• entropy - the amount of energy not available for work in a closed thermodynamic system (usually symbolized as S)
• enzyme - a protein that speeds up (catalyses) a reaction
• eppendorf tube - generalized and trademarked term used for a type of tube; see microcentrifuge