Classification of Matter

Written by J.A Dobado | Last Updated on April 22, 2024

Chemical Element and Chemical Compound

Matter is made up of tiny units called atoms. A chemical element is a substance made up of only one type of atom. Approximately 90 of these elements can be found in nature. The rest do not occur naturally and can only be obtained artificially.

Chemical compounds are substances in which atoms of different elements are combined with each other. There are millions of different chemical compounds. A molecule is the smallest possible entity in which the same proportions of constituent atoms are maintained as in the chemical compound.

Elements and compounds are called substances.

Homogeneous Mixtures and Heterogeneous Mixtures
A mixture of substances may vary in composition and properties from sample to sample. When a mixture is uniform in composition and properties in any part of a given sample it is said to be a homogeneous mixture or a solution.
In heterogeneous mixtures, such as that formed by water and oil. The components are separated into distinct zones. Therefore the composition and physical properties vary from one part of the mixture to another.

Separation of Mixtures

The components of a mixture can be separated by suitable physical transformations.

States of Matter

Matter can be found in one of three states: solid, liquid, or gas.

Diatomic oxygen can be found in the three states of matter. As shown in the figure we can consider a macroscopic point of view, which refers to how we perceive matter with our eyes, through the external appearance of objects. And a microscopic point of view that describes matter in terms of atoms and molecules.

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