Lesson 1.2.
Classifications of Matter
Learning Objectives
At the end of the lesson, you (student) should be able to:
1. Differentiate between pure substances and mixtures.
2. Differentiate elements from compounds.
3. Classify the different kinds of mixtures.
4. Differentiate the different kinds of compounds.
Learning Time (Acquire New Knowledge)
Now that you have given your initial understanding based on the above concepts, this time
let’s get to know and understand more about the different classifications of matter.
Substances and Mixtures
A substance is a form of matter that has a definite (constant) composition and distinct
properties. Examples are water, ammonia, table sugar (sucrose), gold, and oxygen.
Substances differ from one another in composition and can be identified by their appearance,
smell, taste, and other properties.
A mixture is a combination of two or more substances in which the substances retain
their distinct identities. Some familiar examples are air, soft drinks, milk, and cement. Mixtures
do not have constant composition. Therefore, samples of air collected in different cities would
probably differ in composition because of differences in altitude, pollution, and so on.
Mixtures are either homogeneous or heterogeneous.
When a spoonful of sugar dissolves in water we obtain a homogeneous mixture in
which the composition of the mixture is the same throughout. If sand is mixed with iron filings,
however, the sand grains and the iron filings remain separate (Figure 3). This type of mixture
is called a heterogeneous mixture because the composition is not uniform.
Any mixture, whether homogeneous or heterogeneous, can be created and then
separated by physical means into pure components without changing the identities of the
components. Thus, sugar can be recovered from a water solution by heating the solution and
evaporating it to dryness.
Condensing the vapor will give us back the water component. To separate the iron-
sand mixture, we can use a magnet to remove the iron filings from the sand, because sand is
not attracted to the magnet [see Figure 4]. After separation, the components of the mixture
will have the same composition and properties as they did to start with.
Figure 1. The mixture contains iron filings and sand
Figure 2. A magnet separates the iron filings from the mixture. The same technique is used on
a larger scale to separate iron and steel from nonmagnetic objects such as aluminum, glass,
and plastics.
Mixtures are also classified as colloids, suspensions and solutions. Colloids and
suspensions are examples of heterogeneous mixtures. If you dissolve a small amount of
sugar into water, stir the mixture and let it stand. You have just formed a solution. The solution
appears uniform, when seen even under the most powerful microscope. Particles of solution
are too small to be seen by the naked eye. Examples of solutions are vinegar, seawater, and
solids like brass and window glass.
Muddy water is suspension. The solid particles in the suspension settle after
prolonged standing. The particles are big and can be seen by the naked eye. The big particles
can easily be separated by filtration.
Milk is an example of a colloid. When observed under a microscope, you can see
particles suspended in water. These are the fat globules which are not uniformly distributed.
Colloids are intermediate between suspensions and solutions. The particles in colloids are
bigger than those in solutions but smaller than those in suspensions. Particles in colloids are
suspended in the medium. They settle down slowly. However, they cannot be separated by
ordinary filtration. Particles in colloids scatter light, exhibiting Tyndall effect.
Figure 3. The scattering of visible light by colloidal particles exhibiting Tyndall effect.
Elements and Compounds
Substances can be either elements or compounds. An element is a substance that
cannot be separated into simpler substances by chemical means. To date, 118 elements have
been positively identified. Most of them occur naturally on Earth. The others have been
created by scientists via nuclear processes. Elements can be metal, non – metal or metalloids.
For convenience, chemists use symbols of one or two letters to represent the
elements. The first letter of a symbol is always capitalized, but any following letters are not.
For example, Co is the symbol for the element cobalt, whereas CO is the formula for the carbon
monoxide molecule. Figure 5 shows the names and symbols of some of the more common
elements; a complete list of the elements and their symbols appears inside the front cover of
this book. The symbols of some elements are derived from their Latin names—for example,
Au from aurum (gold), Fe from ferrum (iron), and Na from natrium (sodium)—whereas most
of them come from their English names.
Atoms of most elements can interact with one another to form compounds. Hydrogen
gas, for example, burns in oxygen gas to form water, which has properties that are distinctly
different from those of the starting materials.
Water is made up of two parts hydrogen and one-part oxygen. This composition does
not change, regardless of whether the water comes from a faucet in the United States, a lake
in Outer Mongolia, or the ice caps on Mars. Thus, water is a compound, a substance composed
of atoms of two or more elements chemically united in fixed proportions. Unlike mixtures,
compounds can be separated only by chemical means into their pure components.
Figure 4. Some Common Elements and their Symbols.
Figure 5. Classification of Matter
More than 16 million compounds have been identified by chemists and the number is
still increasing. Compounds are generally classified as organic and inorganic. They are
substances that are made up of more than one type of atoms. These can be separated into
two or more simpler substances by ordinary chemical reactions.
Organic compounds contain carbon. They produce smoke or soot when heated at a
temperature higher than that of room temperature. Inorganic compounds, though some
contain carbon, evolve to gaseous compounds and form a white residue when heated at high
temperature. Compounds can also be classified into acids, bases and salts.
An acid is a compound that turns blue litmus paper to red, taste sour, and can react
with other materials sometimes violently. It donates Hydrogen ion (H+) and accepts Hydroxide
ion (OH-).
Example: HNO3, HCI, H2SO4, H2CO3, HC2H3O2.
A base is a compound that turns red litmus paper to blue, tastes bitter, feels slippery
and can react with other materials sometimes violently. It donates Hydroxide ion (OH -) and
accepts Hydrogen ion (H+).
Example: Mg(OH)2, NaOH, Ca(OH)2.
A salt is a compound that is formed either directly or indirectly from the reaction
between an acid and a base.
Example: KCl, NaCl, MgCl2, CaCl2.
