Professional Documents
Culture Documents
Miscon Elements
Miscon Elements
Elements, compounds
and mixtures
Target level
These materials are primarily intended for the 11–14 age range, but may also be used
as revision materials for the 14–16 age range.
Topics
Pure substances and mixtures; elements and compounds.
Rationale
The distinctions between pure substances and mixtures, and between elements and
compounds are fundamental in chemistry. The materials comprise a pre-test, a study
activity, and a post-test. The study activity is an exercise that focuses first on the
distinction between pure substances and mixtures (one or several types of molecule
present), and then distinguishes between single substances that are elements and
compounds (one or more type of atomic core or nucleus or atom present in the
molecule). These ideas are discussed in Chapter 6 of the Teachers’ notes.
During piloting, some teachers found the materials ‘very useful’, ‘very revealing’, ‘very
clear indeed’ and ‘helpful’. The pre-test revealed ‘considerable uncertainty’ about
definitions. It was also found that some students had difficulty accepting the more
complex molecules represented (such as a benzene molecule), and one teacher found
that students ‘were reluctant to relinquish their own ideas’ (the nature of learners’
alternative conceptions is discussed in Chapter 1 of the Teachers’ notes). Some
students saw bonds as concrete structures and expected them to be drawn as solid
lines (see Chapter 6).
Teachers reported ‘improved understanding’ when students used the materials. One
teacher though that student responses were ‘considerably more coherent after the
exercise’, and another commented that ‘weaker pupils began to sort out the difference’.
Some students reported that they enjoyed the activity, and that it helped them
understand what the key terms meant.
Several teachers did not like the introduction of the word ‘core’ and could substitute
‘nucleus’ or ‘atom’ if preferred. Some students in the pilot objected to monatomic
molecules being described as molecules (see Chapter 2 of the Teachers’ notes for a
discussion of the definition of ‘molecule’). The exercise was considered too lengthy
and repetitive for some students. The full version is provided here, but individual
teachers may wish to edit it, to match the age and ability of particular classes.
Details of the DARTs activity can be found in Chapter 5 of the Teachers’ notes.
Instructions
There are three sets of worksheets;
the pre-test: Elements, compounds or mixtures? (1), the study task: Elements, compounds
and mixtures (2), and the post-test: Elements, compounds or mixtures? (3).
2 Elements, compounds and mixtures
If the materials are used after teaching the topic, then the pre-test may be used to
diagnose whether or not students will benefit from working through the study task.
Resources
■ Student worksheets
– Elements, compounds or mixtures? (1) (pre-test)
– Elements, compounds and mixtures (2) (study task)
– Elements, compounds or mixtures? (3) (post-test)
1. An element is
________________________________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________________________________
2. A compound is
________________________________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________________________________
3. A mixture is
________________________________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________________________________
samples of materials.
Kr
The different particles are shown as: Br C Br
O Cl
Br
H H
C C
H
S S S
S H C H H C C H
S
S
S H
C C
S Xe
H H
TO C
P
OP
PHO
Br
Br
________________________________________
I think this because
Br
Br Br C Br
________________________________________
________________________________________
C
Br
Br ________________________________________
Br
________________________________________
Br
Br
C
________________________________________
Br ________________________________________
Br
C ________________________________________
Br
Br
________________________________________
Xe ________________________________________
Xe
Xe Xe ________________________________________
________________________________________
Xe ________________________________________
Xe Xe
Xe
________________________________________
Xe
________________________________________
Xe
________________________________________
Xe Xe
Xe
S
6. This diagram shows particles in
S S
S
S
________________________________________
S S S
S
I think this because
S
S
S ________________________________________
S
S
________________________________________
S
S S S
________________________________________
S
________________________________________
S S
S S
S
________________________________________
S S
S ________________________________________
S
S S ________________________________________
S S ________________________________________
TO C
P
OP
PHO
H
C
C C
H ________________________________________
H
H
H
C
H C C I think this because
H
C H
C C C
________________________________________
H H H ________________________________________
C H
H C
H
C
H ________________________________________
C
H
H ________________________________________
H
H H
H ________________________________________
C
H C
H
H
C
H ________________________________________
H C
C H H
________________________________________
H
C
C ________________________________________
H H
H C
Ne Ne ________________________________________
Kr
Ne ________________________________________
Kr
Ne ________________________________________
Kr
Ne ________________________________________
Ne
Ne
________________________________________
Ne ________________________________________
Kr Ne Ne
Kr ________________________________________
________________________________________
Ne Ne
Ne Ne Ne
________________________________________
O
________________________________________
H
________________________________________
H
________________________________________
O
H Cl
O ________________________________________
________________________________________
Cl
H
H ________________________________________
O
________________________________________
O H
Cl
Cl ________________________________________
O
TO C
P
OP
PHO
Br
Ne Br C Br
Xe
Br
H H
H
C C
H C H
Kr
H C C H
H
C C
S S S H H
H
S
O Cl
S
S
S
S
The letters are labels used by scientists to help identify the particles.
There are many different types of atoms and molecules, and these pictures just show a few examples.
TO C
P
OP
PHO
O
A
O
O O O
O O
O
O
O O O
O
O
O
O
O
O
O
O
O
O
O O
O O
O O
O
N
N N
N
B
N
N
N
N
N
N
N
N N
N N
N
N N
N
N
N
N
N
N
N N
N
N
N
N
N N N
N
N
N
C N N N N N N N N N N
N N N N N N N N N N
N N N N N N N N N N
N N N N N N N N N N
N N N N N N N N N N
N N N N N N N N N N
N N N N N N N N N N
Answer
B and C are the same substance because they contain the same molecules. They look different because they show
how the molecules are arranged when the substance is a gas (B) and a solid (C). Diagram A shows a different
substance, because it shows different molecules.
Some materials only contain one type of molecule or atom. These are called single substances (or pure substances).
TO C
P
OP
PHO
Br
Br S
Br
S S
Br S
S
S S S
S
S
Br
S
Br Br C Br S
S
S
C
S S S
Br
Br
Br
Br
S S
Br S S
C
S
S S
S
Br
Br
C S S
S
Br
Br
S S
H
Kr Kr H
C
H
H
C
Kr HH
H
Kr H H
H
H
C
Kr
H
C
H
Kr H C C H
H
H
HH
H
Kr H
H
H
H H
H
Kr H
H
H
Kr
H
C
C
Kr Kr C
H
H
H
H
H
H H
H
H
Kr C
Kr Kr HH
H
Kr
H
H H H
Kr C H H
H
C
HH HH
H C C
H
Kr H C
Kr Kr HH
Kr H H H
B
Br
Br
Br
O
Br Br
H
Br Br
Br
O Br
Br
Br
Br
Br Br Br
H
Br
Br
Br
O
Br H Br
Br O
Br
Br
Br
Br
H
r Br
Br
H
O
Br
Br Br
Br
O H
Br
Br
Br Br Br
Br
TO C
P
OP
PHO
H H
H
H C C
1. ________________________________________
H C
C
H C C
C H
C C C
H C
C H H H
H
H
H H C
H H
C C C C
C C H
C C H
H H
C C
C C
H H H
2. ________________________________________
H
H
H H
H
H
H
H C
H C H
H
C H
H
H H H
H H
C H
H
H H
H
C
C
H
H
H H H
H
H
C
H C H
H C H H
H
H
H
C
H
H C H H H 3. ________________________________________
H
C
C C
H
H
H
H
H C C
H C
C H
C C C
H H H
C H
H C
C
H H
C
H
H
H
H H
H
C
H H
H C H
C
H C
H C H H
C
C
H H
H C
TO C
P
OP
PHO
H H
H
H
C
Kr C HH
Ne
Ne Ne C
H
C
C
Kr H
C
H
H
H
H HH
H
H
H
H
Ne Ne
Kr
H H
Ne C
H C H
H H
Kr
Ne C
H C H
Kr H
Ne H H H
Ne H
Ne H
C
C HH
H
HH
Ne C H
H H
Kr Ne Ne
C HH
Kr H
H C
H
C
H
Ne Ne H
C
Ne Ne Ne H
H
The following two diagrams show a single substance and a mixture. Complete the labels to show you know which is
which:
S
S
S S
S
S S
S
S
H
5 This diagram shows a
H
H H H
H
S
S
S
H
________________________________________
H S
H
H S
S H H because there is only one type of
S
H
H H
S
________________________________________
H
H S
H
H
S
H H
H
H
S
S
S
H
H
S
H
H H S
S
TO C
P
OP
PHO
Cores H
Electron ‘cloud’
Ne
Core
S
H
Electron ‘cloud’
The atoms or molecules that form an element have only one type of core. (Scientists use different letters to represent
the different elements).
S S S
S
S
S
S Xe
S
N N O O Cl Cl
TO C
P
OP
PHO
S Br
H
H H
Br C Br
H C C H
Br
H H H
O Br
O C O
The following two diagrams show a molecule of an element and a molecule of a compound. Complete the labels to
show you know which is which:
H H
________________________________________
N
because there is more than one type of
________________________________________
H
________________________________________
TO C
P
OP
PHO
The following diagrams show molecules in a mixture, element and compound. Complete the labels to show you
know which is which:
Cl
H
H
Cl
Cl
H
Cl
H
Cl
l
C
H
H
H
H Cl C
l
H
C
l
H
H
Cl
Cl
Cl
H
H 8. ________________________________________
C
Cl
l
H
Br
Cl Cl
Br Br
Br
Br
Cl
Br
Cl
Br
Br
Br
Cl
Br
Cl
Cl Cl
Br Br
Cl
Br
Br
Br
Cl
Cl Cl Br
9. ________________________________________
N
N N
N
N
N
N
N
N
N
N
N
N N
N
N
N
N
N
N
N
N
N
N N
N
N
N
N
N N N
N
N
N
10. ________________________________________
TO C
P
OP
PHO
S
C
S I I I I
S
S
C S C
S I I I
C S
S I I I I
S C S
I I I
S
I I I I
C
C
S
I I I
S
S
S
I I I I
C
S
S
S I I I
C
S
S
C
I I I I
1. _________________________________________ 2. _______________________________________
H
H
H
H
H
I I C C
H
H O
C
H
C
H
H H
H
C C C
HH
H
H
C
H C C
C
H
H
H
H
I C C
H
H
C I
O
H H O
C
H
H H H
C H
H
H
H
H
C H
H
H H
H
I
C H C H
I
H H
C H C
H
C O H
I
I
C C H C O H
C
H C H H
H
C
H
C H H
H
H H
H
H
H
H
H
I I
C C H C C
HH
O
I I
C
C
I
3. ________________________________________ 4. _______________________________________
F
Xe
He
He
F
He F F F
Xe F F
F
He He F
F
Xe
F F F
He
F
Xe
He
F
F
Xe F
He F
He
F
He F
F
F
F
He
Xe He He
F
Xe F F
F F
F F
F
He He
He He He
5. ________________________________________ 6. _______________________________________
TO C
P
OP
PHO