*Properties of Matter*

Substances can be identified using the characteristics possessed by the substance. These characteristics
are called properties. The properties may be physical or chemical.

* Physical properties are properties associated with physical changes.

Common physical changes of a substance include its boiling point, melting point, density, hardness,
malleability, crystalline form, as well as properties which may be detected by the senses such as colour,
odour, and taste.

* Chemical properties are those properties which are involved when matter undergoes a change to
form new substances. The rusting of iron is a chemical property of iron since a new substance, iron rust,
is formed.

*Physical and Chemical changes*

Matter undergo two types of change

Physical Change: This is a change which is easily reversed and in which no new substance is formed.

Examples of physical change include:

 The dissolution of common salt in water.

 Changes in the states of matter such as the melting of solids to liquids, the freezing of liquid to
solids, the vaporization of liquids to gases, the liquefaction of gases to liquids and the sublimation
of solids to vapours.
 The separation of mixtures by evaporation, distillation, fractional distillation, sublimation and
crystallization.
 The magnetization and demagnetization of iron rods.

Chemical Change: This is a change which is not easily reversed and in which new substance is formed.

Examples of chemical change include:

 Burning of substance to ash

 The dissolution of metals and limestone in acids
 The rusting of iron.
 The addition of water to quicklime i.e. the slaking of lime.
 Fermentation and decay of substances.
 The changes in the electrochemical cell.
*Difference between Physical and Chemical Changes*

Physical Change Chemical Change

It is easily reversible It is not easily reversible
New substances are formed New substances are formed
Very little amount of heat is involved There are remarkable heat change
No change in mass The new substances always have different
masses from the original substances.

*ELEMENT, COMPOUND AND MIXTURE*

Matter may be classified into elements, compound and mixtures.

Element: An element is a substance which cannot be split up into simpler substances by simple chemical
means.

There are 109 known elements. Ninety of them occur naturally, the rest of them are made artificially in
the laboratory. The familiar elements includes iron, gold, tin, oxygen, silver, iodine etc.

Compound: A compound is a substance containing two or more elements which are chemically joined
together.

Most substances occurring in nature are compounds. Examples of compound and their component
elements are:

Compound Component Elements Formula

Water Hydrogen and Oxygen H2O
Sand Silicon and Oxygen SiO2
Limestone Calcium, Carbon and Oxygen CaCO3
Common Salt Sodium and Chlorine NaCl
Sugar (Glucose) Carbon, Hydrogen and Oxygen C6H12O6
Caustic Soda Sodium, Oxygen and Hydrogen NaOH
Alcohol (Ethanol) Carbon, Hydrogen and Oxygen C2H5OH
Mixtures:

This is formed when two or more substances are physically joined together i.e. they are not chemically
joined together. Examples of mixtures and their constituents are:

Mixture Constituents

Air; Oxygen, carbon(IV)oxide, nitrogen, rare gases, dust, moisture.

Urine ; Urea, water, mineral salts

Blood; Water, proteins, fat, oil, sugar, minerals salts, vitamins, hormones, blood cells,
haemoglobin, enzymes

Crude oil; Petrol, heavy oil, gas oil, kerosene naptha, bitumen, gas, etc.

Milk; Water, sugar, fat, proteins, mineral salts, vitamin

Brass; Copper, zinc

Bronze; Copper, tin

*Differences between Mixture and Compound*

Mixture Compound
The constituents can be separated by physical The
means. constituents cannot be separated by physical
means

It may be homogeneous or heterogeneous It is always homogenous

The properties of a mixture are the sum of those The properties of a compound differ entirely
of its individual constituents. from those of its component element
The composition vary The composition is fixed