STEMscopedia: PURE SUBSTANCES AND

MIXTURES
8P1A

Reflect
To understand pure substances and mixtures, you must first know what role atoms and molecules
play.

An atom is defined as the basic unit of a chemical element. Atoms are millions of tiny particles that
make up a solid, liquid, or gas. The best way to describe an atom is its comparison to an egg. The
yolk of the egg would make reference to the nucleus. The nucleus is made up of positively charged
protons and neutrally charged neutrons. The egg whites would represent the negatively charged
electrons, which rotate around the nucleus.

A molecule is a group of two or more atoms that stick together. Molecules are so small that nobody
can see them. Pretty much everything on Earth and other planets is made of molecules. We, as
humans, are made up of trillions and trillions of different types of molecules.

The difference between atoms and molecules are that atoms are the smallest units possible and a
molecule is a combination of atoms.

What Is the Difference Between Pure Substances and Mixtures?

First, it is important to mention that pure substances are considered compounds and elements.
An element is defined as a substance that is made from one type of atom and cannot be broken
down into simpler components by chemical or physical means. A mixture is defined as two or more
substances that are chemically different and are not chemically joined. And finally, a compound is
defined as a substance formed when two or more elements chemically react with each other to form
chemical bonds between their atoms.

To make things more simple, the difference between elements and compounds is elements are
made of only one thing, but compounds are made of more than one thing. Compounds are a
combination of elements. Elements are what make up
the periodic table of the elements; these are in their
simplest forms. A good example is a single atom of
sodium would still be sodium, but sodium chloride, salt,
is sodium and chlorine and broken down it would be a
single atom of sodium or a single atom of chlorine.

Periodic Table of Elements

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Look Out
There are millions of different substances but only about 100 atoms. Molecules are made up of
many different ratios of atoms. Some of these ratios make some
dangerous substances—never mix substances that you don’t
know about.

Sugar is made of:

C6 – 6 carbon atoms
H12 – 12 hydrogen atoms
O6 – 6 oxygen atoms

It takes this exact combination of atoms to make up a sugar

molecule.

Facts About Molecules

• 66% of the human body is made up of oxygen atoms.
• Molecules can have many different shapes.
• Organic compounds always contain carbon.
• DNA is a molecule. It is the molecular makeup that makes each person unique.

What Do You Think?

What Are the Parts of an Atom?

Atoms have three parts: protons, neutrons, and electrons. The protons and neutrons are found in
the center of the atom called the nucleus. The electrons are found on the outside of the nucleus and
are much smaller. Electrons move very fast; they could be compared to a superfast racing car that
is going so fast, they just sort of turn into a blur. That is called an orbital. In all atoms, the number
of protons and the number of electrons is always the same. The number of neutrons is very roughly
the same as the number of protons, but sometimes it’s rather more. The number of protons in an
atom is called the atomic number, and it tells you what type of atom you have.

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How Do Atoms Make Molecules and Compounds?
Atoms are more stable when they are joined with other atoms. A molecule is made up of any
combination of atoms. Compounds are made up of two or more atoms. All compounds are
molecules, but not all molecules are compounds. Molecules can’t be compounds if they are only
made from one element.

Molecules and compounds can be really confusing, so the easiest way to remember the difference
is compounds are elements joined together and molecules are atoms joined together.

Look up different molecules and see how they are made. Are they made up of one element?
Or more than one element? Can you see a pattern?

Example of
an atom. Example of a water molecule.

Try Now

Color markers have molecules that make up the different pigments. The different color pigment
molecules are different sizes. A black marker is made up of many different
color pigments.

Try this experiment to see what color pigment molecules can be found in black ink. You will also be
able to see how different pigments travel different distances and at different rates based on their
size. Developed in 1910 by Russian botanist Mikhail Tsvet, chromatography is used to separate the
pigment molecules of plant dyes. This technique is also known as “color writing.”

Materials
• Scissors
• White paper coffee filter
• Black marker (not permanent)
• Water
• Coffee cup or mug

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Directions
1. Cut a circle out of the coffee filter.
2. Draw a black line across the circle, about 1 inch up from the bottom.
3. Put just enough water in the coffee cup to cover the bottom.
4. Put the paper circle in the bottom of the cup, making sure the black ink is in the water.
5. As the filter absorbs the water and it reaches the black line, you’ll start to see the
different colors.
6. Leave the paper in the water until the colors go all the way to the top edge. How many colors
can you see?

If you have another brand of black marker, do the experiment again. Does this marker make
different colors than the first one? Compare your results.

There are many different types of chromatography. They all work the same way as this experiment.
Because the colors have different sized molecules, they travel at different rates and end up in
different places on the coffee filter; therefore, you are able to see what was used to make the
mixture of a black marker. What colors made up the black marker?

How Does a Combination of Many Colors End Up Turning Black?

Depending on the makeup of atoms and electrons in colors, they are going to do one of several
things when exposed to light: either absorb, reflect, do nothing, or refract light. The mixture of the
colors absorbs the light of many colors, and therefore it cannot reflect any light, and the result is the
color black.

Connecting With Your Child

Your child has been learning about atoms and molecules. Also, they have learned about elements,
compounds, and mixtures. They have learned that everything on Earth is made of molecules. The
purpose of this unit is to help your child distinguish between atoms and molecules and describe the
difference between pure substances (elements and compounds) and mixtures.

Some things will not always mix together. There are certain compounds that will just not work
together. Take water and oil for instance—they do not mix. Try this experiment with your child. What
can you find out about how water and oil are made up? What about their makeup makes them repel
each other?

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Materials
• Vegetable or baby oil
• Pie tin
• Food coloring
• 3 Cups
• Dropper

Directions
1. Cover the bottom of the pie tin with oil.
2. Put food coloring in 3 separate cups of water.
3. Use a dropper to put the colored water into the oil.
What happens? What happens if you stir the mixture? Can you push the bubbles together? Why
won’t the oil mix with the water?