Cambridge Lower Secondary :

Stage 7

4.5 Elements, compounds

and mixtures
by Sarah Affendi
 Key points
• Everything in the known universe is made up of the
elements found on the periodic table.
• There are over 100 different elements, which are made
up of atoms.
• Particle diagrams are used to help explain elements,
compounds and mixtures.
• Some elements exist as individual atoms, but some bond
together to form molecules of atoms of the same
element.
Atoms and molecules
 Elements
• an element is a pure substance that cannot be broken down into any other
substances.
oxygen
• an element is made from just one type of atom
hydrogen
iron
• some elements exist as individual atoms

• some exist as molecules.

 most of the elements are
metals.

aluminium (Al) is used to make it is also used to

bike frames because it is light make kitchen foil

• all the atoms in a copper

wire are the same

• these are different to the

atoms in aluminium foil
copper (Cu) is used to make which are all the same as
electrical wires because it is a each other
very good conductor of
electricity.
 Compounds
• compound is made from more than one
element

• in a compound, elements are chemically

bonded together - very difficult to separate
them

• when a compound is made,

• they are bond together in a

fixed ratio
• the atoms of the
elements bond • each compound can be represented by a
together chemical formula/symbol, e.g. water = H2O
 Formula
• chemical formula shows the chemical symbols of elements in a
compound, and how many of each type of atom there are

H 2O NaCl NH4

• the number after a symbol in the formula show how many of that type
of atom there are
 Formula
Compound Formula Constituents

Water H20 2 hydrogen and 1 oxygen atoms

Sodium chloride NaCl 1 sodium and 1 chlorine atoms

Carbon dioxide CO2 1 carbon and 2 oxygen atoms

Ammonia NH3 1 nitrogen and 3 hydrogen atoms

Sulphuric acid H2SO4 2 hydrogen, 1 sulphur, and 4 oxygen atoms

Sodium hydroxide NaOH 1 Sodium, 1 oxygen, and 1 hydrogen atoms

Calcium carbonate CaCO2 1 calcium, 1 carbon, and 2 oxygen atoms

Sugar C12H22O11 12 carbon, 22 hydrogen, and 11 oxygen atoms

 Mixtures
pure substance one type of element or compound

two or more elements/ compounds are

mixture present without being chemically
bonded together

substances which have been mixed

i. are not present in specific amounts or
ratios
ii. they are easily separated
 Mixtures

A homogeneous mixture is a A heterogeneous mixture is

mixture in which the a mixture in which the
composition is uniform composition is not uniform
throughout the mixture. throughout the mixture.
 Mixtures
Mixture of 2 elements Mixture of
elements and
compounds

element molecules
atoms + atoms molecules
+ +
(2 types of atoms) +
molecules molecules molecules
(atoms of one (2 types of
atoms (one type is of an
element and molecules of an element, and the
molecules of molecules of the element)
an element other is of a
other)
compound )
molecules of a
compound
 Mixtures
• in a mixture, two ingredients can be separated using
physical processes, without chemical reactions

filtration magnet

distillation
separation of iron fillings
separation of sand and water separation of salt and water and sulfur powder
Comparison
 Solutions
• solution - a mixture where a substance is dissolved into a another

• solute – the substance put into the solvent to dissolve; usually a solid
 Suspensions, colloids, and
solutions
• in term of particle size,

suspensions > colloids > solutions

suspensions colloids solutions

• heterogeneous • homogeneous or • homogeneous
• uneven heterogenous • even composition
composition
• large particles • medium particles • small particles
• ≥ 1000nm • 1 – 1000 nm • 0.01 – 1 nm
 Allotrope
• some elements exist naturally in more than one form

• two or more different forms of which an element can exist

 Alloys
• alloys are mixtures which may contain either:

metal metal
metal non-
metal
metal
two or more different
one or more metal element and non-
metal elements
metal metal element

• alloys are made by heating

the elements together

• different elements in an alloy

are not chemically joined
together Pure metal
Alloy
Orderly arrangement
Disorderly arrangement
• NO CHEMICAL REACTION because of the same sized
because of different sized atoms
atoms
 Alloys
• alloys have different chemical and physical properties from the constituent
substances they are made up of
small
amounts of
chromium
iron
small amounts of
nickel and
carbon

not a suitable material

water
rust for making kitchen
iron
oxygen utensils and appliances

stainless due to presence of

steel rust unreactive
chromium and
nickel
 Alloys
stainless washing
steel machines

kitchen utensils
– forks and spoons sinks

dishwashers

iron carbon

carbon makes the

steel much
stronger
buildings or
bridges