Chapter 6:

Elements,
Compounds
and Mixtures
Before we move on,

We have…

Representing the video

clip available
 Lesson Outline
• recognise that substances can be classified as elements,
compounds and mixtures
• distinguish among elements, compounds and mixtures
• identify an element as the basic building block of matter
• recognise that elements are classified according to their
properties
• describe compounds as substances consisting of two or
more chemically combined elements
• describe mixtures as two or more elements and/or
compounds that are not chemically combined
• classify elements as metals and non-metals based on their
characteristic properties
• show an appreciation of the systematic investigation
involved in the study of substance
 6.1 Elements
Elements are the simplest kind of matter

It cannot be broken down into simpler

lead
substances by chemical reactions
o2 o2
E.g. When you heat oxygen, expose it to light or Oxygen + Oxygen
pass electricity through it, it does not break = Oxygen o2
down and remains as oxygen.
There are more than 110 elements.
Every element is given a name and a chemical symbol.
Chemical symbol takes one or two
E.g. Helium = He letters from the name of the element
First letter is always For two-letter symbols, they may not
capitalised and the letter always be the first two letters of the
that follows is in lower case name of the element
There are some cases where chemical symbols take letters from
the name of the element in other languages such as Latin, Greek
and Arabic.
Name of element Chemical symbol Name of element (Language)
Potassium K Kalium (Latin)
Iron Fe Ferrum (Latin)
Copper Cu Cuprum (Latin)
Silver Ag Argentum (Latin)
Tin Sn Stannum (Latin)
Gold Au Aurum (Latin)

Mercury Hg Hydrargyrum (Latinized

Greek)
Lead Pb Plumbum (Latin)
 6.2 Classification of Elements
To make the study of matter easier, scientists have
classified the elements.
Classifying elements according to similar chemical
properties arranged systematically in a table is called the
Periodic Table.

Go to Video 6.1
Classifying Elements by State
A simple way to classify elements is to observe their physical
states at room temperature. Chlorine (gas)
Mercury (liquid)

Lead (solid)

Classifying Elements as Metals and Non-Metals

Here are the characteristic properties that are used to classify
elements into metals and non-metals:
Metal Non-Metal
• shiny appearance • dull appearance
• high density • low density
• high melting point • low melting point
• good electrical and heat conductor • poor electrical and heat conductor
• ductile • non-ductile
• malleable • brittle
• sonorous • non-sonorous
Uses of Metals
• Aluminium is used to make aircraft
bodies, packaging and cooking
utensils because it is light and
resists corrosion

• Copper does not react to water and is cheap thus it is

used to make water pipes to prevent corrosion. It is also
used to make wires as it is a good conductor of electricity.

•Silver reflects light so well that

it is used to coat glass to make
mirrors. Some other uses include
jewellery, coins and electrical
contacts.

Can you think of more uses of metals?

Uses of Non-metals

Hydrogen is used
• as rocket fuel
• for making margarine
• for filling weather balloons

Oxygen is used
• for respiration
• for combustion
• in oxy-acetylene flames for welding

Carbon is used
• in the formation of living tissues
• as a fuel
• in pencil leads
 6.3 Compounds
A compound is a substance consisting of two or
more different chemically combined elements
Sodium chloride (salt)

A chemical formula is used to describe the number

and type of elements that constitute a compound

E.g. H2O (chemical formula of water) H H

O
Type of element: Hydrogen Type of element: Oxygen
Number of element: 2 Number of element: 1

Compounds are formed during chemical reactions,

where heat and sometimes It is a process in which the
light energy is given out or original substances are changed
taken in to one or more new substances.
 Formation of Compounds
Chemical combination of elements
Magnesium and oxygen combine
chemically to produce magnesium
oxide (compound)

Word equation : Magnesium + oxygen magnesium oxide

(element) (element) (compound)

Chemical combination of elements and compounds

When colourless oxygen and nitrogen dioxide is mixed, they combine
chemically to produce a coloured compound, nitrogen dioxide

Word equation : Nitrogen oxide + oxygen nitrogen dioxide

(compound) (element) (compound)
 Chemical combination of compounds

Word equation : Ammonia + hydrogen chloride ammonium chloride

(compound) (compound) (compound)

When colourless gaseous ammonia is mixed with colourless

gaseous hydrogen chloride, they combine chemically to
produce a white solid, ammonium chloride.
6.4 Some Common
Characteristics of Compounds
All compounds share some common properties which enable
us to identify them.
• Compounds are formed by chemical reactions, which
usually involve an exchange of energy (heat/light) with the
surroundings.
• A compound has properties that are different from the
properties of its constituent elements

Sodium (solid) Chlorine (gas) Sodium chloride (solid)

How is sodium chloride different from sodium or chlorine?

 evaporating dish
• A compound can only be pipe clay triangle

broken down into simpler tripod stand

substances by chemical Bunsen burner

methods
(e.g. thermal decomposition)
boiling to dryness

• The different elements in a compound are chemically

combined in a fixed proportion by mass

2g of hydrogen + 4g of oxygen 6g of water

 6.5 Mixtures
A mixture is made up of two or more substances not
chemically combined.
It may consist of elements, compounds or both.

It may be made up by solids, liquids or gases.

Examples of Useful Mixtures:
Clean air
It is a mixture of gaseous
elements (nitrogen, oxygen) and
compounds (carbon dioxide)
Duralumin
It is a mixture of aluminium,
copper, magnesium and manganese

Other examples of mixtures

include fog, muddy water,
honey, milk, some medicines,
brass and steel.
6.6 Some Common
Characteristics of Mixtures
Mixtures
• Not formed by chemical reactions (no heat/light energy is given
out or taken in)
• has properties of its constituent substance
• Substances can be mixed in any proportion by mass
• It can be separated into its components by physical means
(evaporation, filtration, distillation)

cooling
evaporating dish water out
pipe clay triangle

tripod stand
The
solution
Bunsen burner cooling
is heated
water
in
heat distillate
6.7 Distinguishing Among Elements,
Compounds and Mixtures
With the help of classification keys, it is easier to differentiate
elements, compounds and mixtures.

Some examples of classification keys

Classification web Classification branch

Branching out every section under

elements, compounds and mixtures
makes comparing them so much easier,
now even I can differentiate them fast!