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General Chemistry 100 1st Quarter, 1st Semester

Instructor: Jay M. Cavan Lecture Notes No. 1

Topics: Matter and Its Properties

I. States and Properties of Matter
II. Classification of Matter
III. Methods of Separating Components of Mixtures

Learning Competencies:
At the end of the session, the students will be able to:
I. Use properties of matter to identify substances and to separate them
II. Differentiate between pure substances and mixtures
III. Describe separation techniques for mixtures

Concepts:
I. States and Properties of Matter

Chemistry is the field of study concerned with the characteristics, composition, and
transformation of matter. Matter is anything that has mass and occupies space.
• Mass refers to the amount of matter present in a sample.
• Volume is the measure of the amount of space occupied by the sample.

Three physical states exist for matter: solid, liquid and gas. The state is based on whether
its shape and volume are definite or indefinite.
• Solid is the physical state characterized by a definite shape and a definite volume.
• Liquid is the physical state
characterized by an
indefinite shape, it takes
the shape of its container to
the extent that it is filled,
and a definite volume.
• Gas is the physical state
characterized by an
indefinite shape and an
indefinite volume, it takes
the volume and shape of
the container that it
completely fills.
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Distinguishing Properties of Solids, Liquids and Gases

Property Solid State Liquid State Gaseous State
Volume and Shape Definite volume Definite volume and Indefinite shape
and definite shape indefinite shape and indefinite
volume
Density high high but usually low
lower than
corresponding solid
Compressibility small small, but usually large
greater than
corresponding solid
Thermal Expansion very small small moderate
• Density is the ratio of the mass of an object to the volume occupied by that object.
• Compressibility is a measure of the change in volume of a sample of matter
resulting from a pressure change.
• Thermal expansion is a measure of the change in volume of a sample of matter
resulting from a temperature change.

The property of a matter is a distinguishing characteristic that is used in its identification

and description.
• Physical property is a characteristic of a substance that can be observed without
changing the basic identity of the substance. Examples are color, odor, physical
state (solid, liquid, or gas), melting point, boiling point, and hardness.
o Intensive property is a property that will be the same regardless of the
amount of matter. Examples are density, color, conductivity, malleability,
and luster.
o Extensive property is a property that will change if the amount of matter
changes. Examples are mass, volume and length.
• Chemical Property is a characteristic of a substance that describes the way the
substance undergoes or resists change to form a new substance. Example is the
property of zinc to react with hydrochloric acid to produce hydrogen gas. On the
other hand, gold objects resist change when exposed to air. The lack of reactivity
of gold with air is its chemical property.

Changes in matter are common and familiar occurrences.

• Physical change is a process in which a substance changes its physical
appearance but not its chemical composition. A new substance is never formed as
a result of a physical change. Examples are changes in physical state; melting,
freezing, evaporation and condensation.
• Chemical change is a process in which a substance undergoes a change in
chemical composition. Chemical changes always involve conversion of the
material or materials under consideration into one or more new substances, each
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of which has properties and composition distinctly different from those of the
original materials.

II. Classification of Matter

Aside from classifying matter by its physical state, matter can also be classified in terms
of its chemical composition.
• Pure substance or substance is a single kind of matter that cannot be separated
into other kinds of matter by any physical means. It always has a definite and
constant composition. All samples of a pure substance, no matter what their
source, have the same properties under the same condition.
o Element is a pure substance that cannot be broken down into simpler pure
substances by chemical means. It is composed of only one kind of atom.
Examples are gold, silver and copper.

o Compound is a pure substance that can be broken down into two or more
simpler pure substances by chemical means. It is composed of two or more
atoms of different kinds. Examples are water, ammonia and sodium
chloride.
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Distinguishing Between Compounds and Mixtures

Compounds Mixtures
Have properties distinctly different from Components retain their individual
those of the substances that combined to properties
form the compound
Have a definite chemical composition Have a variable chemical composition
Components cannot be separated by Physical methods are sufficient to
physical methods; chemical methods are separate the components
required

• Mixture is a physical combination of two or more pure substances in which each

substance retains its own chemical identity. Components of a mixture retain their
identity because they are only physically mixed rather than chemically combined.
Components of a mixture can be separated by using physical means.
o Homogeneous mixture is a mixture that contains only one visibly distinct
phase (part) which has uniform properties throughout. The components
present in a homogeneous mixture cannot be visually distinguished.
Examples are sugar-water mixture, air, and metal alloys like 14-karat gold.
There are also different types of solution:

solid-solid solution Two or more solids combined to form a mixture. Example is

an alloy which is a combination of two or more metals.
solid-in-liquid solution The solute is in solid form while the solvent is a liquid form.
An example of this type of solution is a salt and water solution.
liquid-liquid solution Two or more liquids are mixed to create a solution in liquid
form. An example of this is a water and alcohol solution.
gas-liquid solution It involves the combination of a gas and a liquid. An example
is a carbonated drink.
gas-gas solution It is a combination of two or more gases. An example is air,
which is a mixture of different gases such as nitrogen, oxygen
and other gases.
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o Heterogeneous mixture is a mixture that contains visibly different phases

(parts), each of which has different properties. A nonuniform appearance is
a characteristic of all heterogeneous mixtures. Examples are chocolate chip
cookies, blueberry muffins, rocks, soils and wood. A heterogeneous mixture
can be a colloid or a suspension.
Colloid or colloidal dispersion have particles bigger than those of a
solution but smaller than those of suspension. These particles are evenly
distributed throughout the mixture and remain dispersed without settling at
the bottom of the container. A colloidal appears homogeneous, but the
particles are recognizable under the microscope. In this type of mixture, a
substance (called the dispersal phase) is distributed in another substance
(called the dispersion medium). Colloids can be classified to the kind of
dispersed medium and dispersed phase.

Different Types of Colloidal Dispersion

Types of Colloidal Dispersed Medium Dispersed Phase Example
Dispersion
aerosol (solid) gas solid dust
aerosol (liquid) gas liquid fog
emulsion liquid liquid milk
foam (solid) solid gas marshmallow
foam (liquid) liquid gas beer froth
sol (solid) solid solid gemstones
sol (liquid) liquid solid blood

Suspensions have particles bigger than those of colloids. They contain

solid particles which eventually settle after interacting with a solvent-like phase. A
common example of a suspension is a sand and water mixture.

III. Methods of Separating Components of Mixtures

The separation of a mixture into its component substances makes use of differences in
the physical properties of those substance.
• Winnowing is a traditional way of separating the palay seeds from the hay by
utilizing the wind or blowing air.
• Magnetism is a process of separating components of mixture of metallic and
nonmetallic substance by using a magnet.
• Sedimentation is a physical water treatment using gravity to separate the
suspended solids from the liquid portion.
• Decantation is a method of separating components of mixtures by removing a layer
of liquid, generally one from the settled solid particles. The aim is to produce a
clean decant (liquid portion).
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• Filtration is good for separating insoluble solid from a liquid. It is the solid substance
left on the filtering medium called residue, while the clear liquid substance that
passes through the filtering medium is called filtrate.
• Evaporation is used to separate soluble solids from liquids utilizing heat.
• Distillation is a widely used method of separating mixtures based on the
differences in boiling points.
• Chromatography is a method of separating mixtures either in gas or liquid form
using difference in solubility or using the appropriate solvent, the mobile phase
while the medium used to hold the sample is called the stationary phase.

Educational Videos:

The arrangement of particles in solids, liquids and gases

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bwGim-eceS8
Properties of Matter
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I_hsQi5jbMQ
Hydrogen vs. Helium Balloon Experiment
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yMqYQKMmd3U
Describe the differences between elements, compounds and mixtures
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wMP4QbrMPLE
The Science of Macaroni Salad: What’s in a Mixture?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vt7lN4QPU0k
How to separate solutions, mixtures and emulsion
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XC1RxloV0Mo
Plasma and Serum Separation of AFE Specimens
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NcFwxuDQrgA

References:

Nucum, Zenaida (2017). General Chemistry 1 for Senior High School. Quezon City: C &
E Publishing Inc.
Stoker, Stephen (2012). General Chemistry. Pasig City: Cengage Learning Asia Pte Ltd
(Philippine Branch).
Jauco, Magdalena et al (2016). General Chemistry 1. Manila: Mindshapers Corporation
Inc.

Photo Credits:

Stoker, Stephen (2012). General Chemistry. Pasig City: Cengage Learning Asia Pte Ltd
(Philippine Branch).
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The multitude of information in this lesson material that includes definitions, explanations,
examples, and pictures were obtained from the cited references and online sources.
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proprietors who provided correct and accessible information that promotes quality
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