Glossary of Chemistry Terms - P

P

• pH - the measure of acidity (or basicity) of a solution
• plasma - state of matter similar to gas in which a certain portion of the particles are ionized
• poor metal - Metallic elements in the p-block, characterized by lower melting and boiling points than other metals
• potential energy - energy stored in a body or in a system due to its position in a force field or due to its configuration
• precipitate - formation of a solid in a solution or inside another solid during a chemical reaction or by diffusion in a solid
• precision - How close the results of multiple experimental trials are. See also accuracy.
• photon - a carrier of electromagnetic radiation of all wavelength (such as gamma rays and radio waves)
• proton - a positive unit or subatomic particle that has a positive charge
• protonation - the addition of a proton (H+) to an atom, molecule, or ion