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Classification of Matter - General Chemistry

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  • What is matter?

    Matter is anything that has mass and occupies space.

  • What are the two main categories of matter?

    Pure substances and mixtures.

  • Define a pure substance.

    A pure substance has a fixed composition and distinct properties.

  • What are elements?

    Elements are pure substances that cannot be broken down into simpler substances by chemical means.

  • What are compounds?

    Compounds are pure substances made of two or more elements chemically combined in fixed proportions.

  • Define a mixture.

    A mixture contains two or more substances physically combined, with variable composition.

  • What is a homogeneous mixture?

    A homogeneous mixture has uniform composition and appearance throughout.

  • What is a heterogeneous mixture?

    A heterogeneous mixture has visibly different parts or phases.

  • Give an example of an element.

    Examples include oxygen (O), hydrogen (H), and gold (Au).

  • Give an example of a compound.

    Examples include water (H\(2\)O) and carbon dioxide (CO\(2\)).

  • Give an example of a homogeneous mixture.

    Examples include salt water and air.

  • Give an example of a heterogeneous mixture.

    Examples include salad and sand in water.

  • How can mixtures be separated?

    Mixtures can be separated by physical methods like filtration, distillation, and evaporation.

  • What distinguishes a compound from a mixture?

    Compounds have fixed chemical composition and properties, mixtures do not.

  • What is the smallest unit of an element?

    The atom is the smallest unit of an element.

  • What is the smallest unit of a compound?

    The molecule is the smallest unit of a compound.

  • What is a physical change?

    A physical change alters the form or appearance but not the composition of matter.

  • What is a chemical change?

    A chemical change produces one or more new substances with different properties.

  • Is boiling water a physical or chemical change?

    Boiling water is a physical change because the composition remains H\(2\)O.