ELEMENTS,

MIXTURES
AND
COMPOUNDS
PREPARED BY: A. DIXON-HARRIS

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 • Distinguish between a homogenous and a
heterogeneous mixture 
 
• Identify different types of solutions 

Objectives  
• Differentiate among solutions, suspensions
and colloids  

• Differentiate among solutions, suspensions

and colloids based on their properties.  
Matter
 Scientists like to classify
things.
 One way that scientists
classify matter is by its
composition.
 Ultimately, all matter can
be classified as mixtures,
elements and compounds.
 Pure and impure substances
 A pure substance is a single substance not mixed with anything else.
 Sugar and table salt are examples of pure substances.

 A pure substance can be an element or a compound.

 A pure substance has a fixed melting point and boiling point. For example, pure water boils at 100 oC,
and melts at 0 oC.

 An impure substance consist of two or more substances mixed together.. It does not have a fixed
melting point and boiling point. It melts or boils over a range of temperatures.
 For example, sea water boils at about 102 oC and freezes at around – 2.5oC

 In general, an impurity lowers the melting point and increases the boiling point of a substance.
Elements
• An element is a pure
substance made up of only 1
type of atom.
• An element cannot be broken
down into any simpler form
by any known chemical
change.
• These elements may be
found on the periodic table
Elements
Elements are classified into two main groups: Metals and Non-metal
Difference between metals and non-metals
Metals Non-metals
Have a shiny/lustrous appearance Have dull appearance

Good conductors of heat and electricity Usually non-conductors of heat and electricity except
graphite

Metals are sonorous (make sound when hit) Non-sonorous

Metals are malleable (rolled or hammered into sheets) Non-malleable and non-ductile
and ductile (drawn into wires)

High melting and boiling point Low melting and boiling point

Usually solid at room temp. except Mercury which is a Usually gas at room temperature except Bromine
liquid which is a liquid

Usually has high density Usually has low density

Compounds and
molecules
 A combination of atoms from different elements is a
Compound

 Examples: water 2 hydrogens 1 oxygen

 The smallest complete unit of a compound that has
the properties of that compound is a molecule.
Mixtures
• A mixture is a substance
containing 2 or more
elements/compounds
that aren’t chemically
combined.
• That is, they are
physically combined and
can be separated.
 Chapter 8

Composition of a mixture
Copper
■ A mixture can be made up of two or atom
more elements.
Zinc
E.g. Brass is a mixture of copper and Brass atom

zinc.
■ A mixture can be made up of
Element
two or more elements or
compounds. Compound
E.g. Air is a mixture which Air contains both elements and
contains both elements and compounds.

compounds. 10
Question!

• What would you observe

after you mix the following?
 The first solution (salt and water) is
a homogeneous mixture and the
other (sand and water) is a
heterogeneous mixture.  

Mixtures
A homogeneous mixture looks the
same throughout the  mixture
whereas in a heterogeneous
mixture you are able to identify the
different  particles present. 
 Activity! Cupper
sulphate in
water
Classify each of the following
as either homogenous or
heterogenous mixtures.
Dirt in
water

Milk
Limestone
in water
 Solutions are homogenous mixtures of
solute and solvent.

A solution where water is the solvent is

Solutions called an Aqueous solution

A solution where water is not the solvent is

called a non-aqueous solution
Characteristics of
solutions
 When left to stand, the solute and
solvent do not separate.

 Solutes are not visible (particle size ≤ 1

nm).

 All parts of the solution have the same

chemical composition, chemical and
physical properties
Question!
Do you think air and steel are
solutions?
 Air is a mixture of elements such as
oxygen, argon and nitrogen mixed with
compounds such as carbon dioxide
 Some of the elements in air go around
as single atoms (such as argon).

Or as molecules such as oxygen.

Compounds go around as molecules

like Carbon Dioxide
 There are different types of solutions. The type of
solute and  solvent helps to define the types of
solution 
• Solid in solid - Alloys of brass and bronze
• Solid in liquid - Sugar in water
• Solid in gas - Smoke
Solutions • Liquid in liquid- Syrup in water
• Liquid in solid - Mercury in sodium (filling in
teeth – amalgam)
• Liquid in gas - Water vapour in air
• Gas in gas - Air
• Gas in Liquid - Soda
• Gas in solid - Hydrogen in palladium
 Heterogeneous mixtures have non-uniform
compositions which can be mechanically
separated.
• Examples of heterogeneous mixtures are
Heterogenous colloids and suspensions.
• Colloids include fog, smoke, shaving cream,
mixtures milk, blood, styrofoam, gelatin, and cheese.
• Suspensions include muddy water, paint and
chalk powder suspended in water.
Characteristics of Suspensions
• Separates into layers over time.
• Filters can separate particles that make up a suspension.
• Particles are larger than those in a solution
• Scatter light.
• Suspended particles settle out of a suspension.
 • Do not separate into layers
• Particles will not become trapped by a filter.
• Scatter light.
Characteristics
of colloids • Colloids and suspensions appear cloudy;
unlike solutions which are much clearer.
• Colloids and solutions will not separate into
layers; suspensions will.