Chemistry vocabulary crossword vocabulary pack

Teacher key

1. ELEMENT · 7 letters · noun · introductory
   Pure substance made of one kind of atom

   Hint: Gold and oxygen are examples from the periodic table.
   Why it fits: ELEMENT fits because each periodic-table entry represents atoms with a specific proton number.

2. MOLECULE · 8 letters · noun · introductory
   Group of atoms held together by chemical bonds

   Hint: Water particles are examples made from hydrogen and oxygen.
   Why it fits: MOLECULE is correct because covalently bonded atoms can form a distinct particle such as water or carbon dioxide.

3. ION · 3 letters · noun · introductory
   Atom or molecule with an electric charge

   Hint: It has gained or lost electrons.
   Why it fits: ION fits because changing electron count makes a particle positive or negative while its proton count stays the same.

4. ISOTOPE · 7 letters · noun · intermediate
   Atom version with same protons but different neutrons

   Hint: Carbon-12 and carbon-14 are related examples.
   Why it fits: ISOTOPE is correct because atoms can remain the same element while having different mass numbers.

5. PROTON · 6 letters · noun · introductory
   Positively charged particle in an atomic nucleus

   Hint: Its count determines the element's identity.
   Why it fits: PROTON fits because the number of these particles defines the atomic number of an element.

6. NEUTRON · 7 letters · noun · introductory
   Neutral particle in an atomic nucleus

   Hint: Changing its count can change an atom's mass number.
   Why it fits: NEUTRON is correct because these nuclear particles add mass without changing the element's atomic number.

7. ELECTRON · 8 letters · noun · introductory
   Negatively charged particle outside the nucleus

   Hint: Chemical bonds often involve this small particle.
   Why it fits: ELECTRON fits because atoms gain, lose, or share these particles in many chemical changes.

8. VALENCE · 7 letters · noun · intermediate
   Outer-shell bonding capacity of an atom

   Hint: Periodic-table groups often share this feature.
   Why it fits: VALENCE is correct because outer electrons largely determine how an atom combines with other atoms.

9. REACTANT · 8 letters · noun · introductory
   Starting substance in a chemical reaction

   Hint: It appears on the left side of many chemical equations.
   Why it fits: REACTANT fits because these substances are rearranged or transformed as the reaction proceeds.

10. PRODUCT · 7 letters · noun · introductory
    Substance formed by a chemical reaction

    Hint: It appears on the right side of many chemical equations.
    Why it fits: PRODUCT is correct because chemical equations show these resulting substances after the arrow.

11. SOLUTION · 8 letters · noun · introductory
    Uniform mixture with dissolved particles

    Hint: Salt water is a common classroom example.
    Why it fits: SOLUTION fits because its composition is evenly distributed, unlike a visibly separated mixture.

12. SOLVENT · 7 letters · noun · intermediate
    Substance that does the dissolving in a mixture

    Hint: In salt water, water has this role.
    Why it fits: SOLVENT is correct because it is usually the larger component that surrounds and separates dissolved particles.

13. SOLUTE · 6 letters · noun · intermediate
    Substance being dissolved in a mixture

    Hint: In salt water, salt has this role.
    Why it fits: SOLUTE fits because its particles become dispersed throughout the dissolving medium.

14. PRECIPITATE · 11 letters · noun · advanced
    Solid that forms from a liquid reaction mixture

    Hint: It may appear as cloudy material at the bottom of a test tube.
    Why it fits: PRECIPITATE is correct because some dissolved ions react to form a solid that separates from solution.

15. ACID · 4 letters · noun · introductory
    Substance that can donate H plus in water

    Hint: Its pH is less than 7 in many classroom examples.
    Why it fits: ACID fits because these substances produce sour, reactive solutions and neutralize bases in many reactions.

16. BASE · 4 letters · noun · introductory
    Substance that can accept H plus in water

    Hint: Its pH is greater than 7 in many classroom examples.
    Why it fits: BASE is correct because these substances often feel slippery in lab descriptions and neutralize acids.

17. NEUTRALIZATION · 14 letters · noun · intermediate
    Reaction between an acid and a base

    Hint: Water and a salt are common products.
    Why it fits: NEUTRALIZATION fits because acid and base properties are reduced as ions combine into new products.

18. OXIDATION · 9 letters · noun · advanced
    Chemical change involving electron loss

    Hint: Rusting iron is a familiar example.
    Why it fits: OXIDATION is correct because in redox reactions one substance loses electrons while another gains them.

19. REDUCTION · 9 letters · noun · advanced
    Chemical change involving electron gain

    Hint: It is paired with electron loss in redox reactions.
    Why it fits: REDUCTION fits because one reactant gains electrons while another reactant is oxidized in the same reaction.

20. EQUILIBRIUM · 11 letters · noun · advanced
    State when forward and reverse reaction rates match

    Hint: Amounts may look stable even though particles keep reacting.
    Why it fits: EQUILIBRIUM is correct because concentrations can remain constant while microscopic reactions continue in both directions.

Accept a different answer only when it matches the clue, length, grammar, and any supplied crossings. Use the reviewed answer when teaching the intended vocabulary target.