Examples Of Pure Substances

By Author: Pierce Brosnan
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All matter can be broadly divided into two major groups "Pure" and "Impure". The term 'purity' has quite a different meaning in chemistry than in our day-to-day life.

A Pure substance is composed of the same kind of particles. A sample of matter, either an element or a compound, that consists of only one component with definite physical and chemical properties and a definite composition.

All matter can be broadly divided into two major groups "Pure" and "Impure". The term 'purity' has quite a different meaning in chemistry than in our day-to-day life.

A Pure substance is composed of the same kind of particles. A sample of matter, either an element or a compound, that consists of only one component with definite physical and chemical properties and a definite composition.

Characteristics features of pure substances

a) A pure substance is homogeneous, irrespective of its origin or method of preparation, and it consists of only one kind of particles e.g. hydrogen, oxygen, water, sodium chloride, etc.

b) A pure substance has definite properties, characteristic ...
... of itself.

c) A pure substance has the same composition throughout. For e.g., different samples of water, prepared by different methods, by different people at different places always consist of hydrogen and oxygen in the ratio 1:8 by mass and 2:1 by volume. If any sample has a different ratio of these elements, then it certainly is not water.

A pure substance is a form of matter that has a definite composition and distinct properties.

As scientists began studying substances, they found that there were certain simple substances that were in all of the materials that they studied. They called these "building blocks of matter" elements. Elements are pure substances that cannot be broken down to any simpler substance.

Compounds, as we have seen, are substances made up of two or more elements combined in specific proportions.

Example:

If each letter in the alphabet is an element, then words would be compounds.

Example:

Hydrogen + Oxygen = Water (H20)

Carbon + Hydrogen + Oxygen = Alcohol

It may consist of only one type of atoms (examples: Fe(s), N2(g), S8(s))

or of only one compound where the atoms are connected in a defined way, (examples: FeS(s), CH4(g), NaNO3(s), H2O(l)).

Some of the pure substances that can be dissolved in water are:

Sodium chloride
Sucrose
Sodium bicarbonate
Potassium chloride
Ammonium sulfate
Glycine
Calcium chloride
Sodium phosphate
Potassium permanganate
Sodium fluoride
Categories of two types of pure substances:

All pure substances are homogeneous (the same throughout). There are two types of pure substance: elements and compounds. An example of an element would be copper. An example of a compound would be NaCl (sodium chloride). Compounds have a definite chemical composition and the elements that make up a compound are always combined in the same proportion. Compounds can be chemically, but not physically separated.

Elements such as oxygen, carbon, nitrogen sulfur, iron, potassium etc are made of only one type of atoms. They are located on the periodic table in their elemental form. There are 92 elements that available in nature and 20 more elements that are artificially produced in laboratories.

Compounds are made of two or more elements that are combined chemically in definite amounts. NaCl is made of chemical combinations of two elements Na (sodium) and Cl (chlorine). Table salt or NaCl is made of sodium chloride molecules all through. Similarly, Sucrose or common sugar is made of three elements carbon, hydrogen and oxygen.

However, fats are those compounds that are made of hydrogen, carbon and oxygen elements but in different amounts. Compounds tend to have properties that are very different from the elements that form it. For example, sodium is an explosive metal and chlorine is a poisonous gas yet they form sodium chloride, which is used in everyday food.

Comprehend more on about Carbon Bonds and its Circumstances. Between, if you have problem on these topics Groups on the Periodic Table Please share your views here by commenting.