Lesson: Categories of Chemicals and Mixtures

Duration: Approximately 40 minutes

This activity introduces students to the classification of matter into pure substances and mixtures by
using familiar examples. Students begin to consider which of the mixtures are homogeneous (same
throughout) and which are heterogeneous (not evenly distributed). Within the "pure substances"
category, students will note how some are elemental substance (made of just one element) and
some are compounds (more than one kind of atom, but combined together in specific proportions).
As students become familiar with these categories, they will be able to use a tree diagram to map
the examples.
LEARNING OBJECTIVE
Students will differentiate pure substances (chemicals) and mixtures.
Students will differentiate homogeneous mixtures (solutions) and heterogeneous mixtures.
Students will differentiate elemental substances and compounds.
Materials (one per student or group)

 electronic device (such as computer, laptop, tablet) to use the interactive elements in
this activity

Teacher Tune-ups

 What is the difference between physical and chemical change?

 What is the difference between chemicals and mixtures?

Teaching Notes
ACTIVITY OVERVIEW
1. Describe pure substances and mixtures (15 minutes)
2. More examples (10 minutes)
3. Matter map assessment (15 minutes)

Describe pure substances and mixtures (15 minutes)

This activity is about classification of matter into pure substances and mixtures. It provides
background information for the interactive activity below.
Among other things, students learn that solutions are not always liquid: homogeneous mixtures can
also take gaseous or solid forms. (In the case of a solid solution, like a metal alloy, the different
chemicals typically become mixed in the liquid phase and later harden into a solid.)
First show the diagram’s various stages that show how different categories of matter fit into one
another. In this diagram, more specific categories are nested inside of more general ones.
Paraphrase:
Pretty much all the materials around us, and even in us, fit into one of two categories:
  Pure Substances (also called chemicals)
 Mixtures (combine multiple chemicals with chemcial reaction)

Within pure substances category there are:

 Elemental Substances (made of just one kind of atom)

 Compounds (combine multiple atoms in definite proportions)

Within the mixture category there are:

 Homogeneous Mixtures (also called "solutions")

 Heterogeneous Mixtures (unevenly mixed)

More examples (10 minutes)

Paraphrase:
To practice classifying various familiar objects, we will play a Turn and Talk sorting game during
which all teams will be shown an object. Then your team will discuss which of the categories
corresponds to the object. Some of the answers will be surprising, so between each slide we’ll read
a brief explanation about WHY the item fits into its category.
Teachers can choose whether or not to keep score.
Answers:

1. A gold bar is made of just one thing: the element gold.

2. Bronze is a homogeneous mixture of copper and tin. It’s a mixture (not a compound)
because the proportions of copper and tin aren’t exactly the same in all bronze.
Mixtures of metals are called alloys.
3. Steel is an alloy made by mixing a little carbon, and sometimes other elements, into
iron. The term alloy usually means a mixture of metal, but adding carbon to iron is also
considered an alloy, even though carbon is not a metal.
4. Sometimes gases can be dissolved in liquids. For example, carbonated drinks have
carbon dioxide dissolved in water, making a homogeneous mixture.
5. Water is a chemical substance that contains only molecules made of two hydrogen
atoms and one oxygen atom, so it's a compound.
6. Table salt crystals are made of sodium and chlorine atoms in a one-to-one ratio. That
is, there are always equal numbers of the two kinds of atoms. The scientific name for
this salt is sodium chloride, which is a compound.
7. Oil and vinegar don’t dissolve into one another, so they always remain unevenly mixed.
It's a heterogeneous mixture.
8. In a smoothie, you can see small pieces of chopped up fruit mixed into the liquid. It's a
heterogeneous mixture.
9. Concrete is made by mixing coarse material like broken stone, gravel, or sand into
cement. It's a heterogeneous mixture.
10. Diamond is made of just one element: carbon. Each carbon atom in diamond is
connected to four other carbon atoms, in a crystal that extends on and on. There are
other forms of pure carbon where the atoms are bonded differently, notably charcoal
and graphite.