Chemistry Lab Word Search

About this puzzle

The vocabulary of a school chemistry lab: the particles everything is made of (atom, proton, neutron, electron, molecule), the ways matter is organized (element, isotope, compound, periodic table), what chemists do (reaction, catalyst, titration) and the glassware on the bench (beaker, flask). It is a good revision list for a first year of chemistry and opens on Hard.

The default layout is Hard on a 15×15 grid. Easy, Medium and Hard each use their own checked layout of the same words, and every one can be printed in standard or large print on US Letter or A4.

Word notes

Atom

The smallest unit of an element that keeps its chemical identity; the name comes from a Greek word meaning "uncuttable".

Beaker

A straight-sided glass container with a lip for pouring, used for mixing and heating liquids.

Catalyst

A substance that speeds up a reaction without being used up.

Proton

A positively charged particle in the nucleus; the number of protons decides which element an atom is.

Electron

A tiny negatively charged particle around the nucleus; electrons form the bonds between atoms.

Isotope

Atoms of one element with different numbers of neutrons.

Periodic Table

Arranges the elements by atomic number; Dmitri Mendeleev published an early version in 1869.

Titration

A lab method for measuring the concentration of a solution.

Try this after the puzzle

Draw a simple atom with its nucleus and electrons, labelling PROTON, NEUTRON and ELECTRON. Then sort the remaining words into particles, processes and equipment. Older students can explain the difference between an element, a compound and a molecule in one sentence each.

All 14 words

Atom · Molecule · Element · Beaker · Flask · Catalyst · Proton · Neutron · Electron · Isotope · Compound · Reaction · Periodic Table · Titration