Monday, 21 January 2013

Purification and Separation

A pure substance is made up of only one substance and is not mixed with any other substance. For example, white diamond is made only of carbon.

We can determine the purity of a substance by:
1. checking its melting and boiling point;
2. using chromatography.

Pure substance :
- has an exact and constant/fixed melting point (melt completely at one temperature)
Effect of impurities on melting point
1) lower the melting point (the greater the amount of impurities, the lower the melting of the substance
2) melting takes places over a range of temperature

- has an exact and constant/fixed boiling point
Effect of impurities on boiling point
1) boiling point will increase (greater the amount of impurities, the higher the boiling point of liquid)
2) boil over a range of temperature
Effect of pressure on boiling point
1) pressure increase, boiling point increase
2) vice versa

To test the purification of a substance, we can use chromatography.
The technique of using a solvent to separate a mixture into its components is called chromatography.
Uses of chromatography

  • Separate the components in a sample
  • identify the number of components in a sample
  • identify the components present in a sample
  • determine whether a sample is pure.
Separating solid from a liquid

- Decanting
This is a way to separate the water from an insoluble solid (e.g. pebbles, sand...)

-Filtration
To separate small solid particles from a liquid. (e.g. sand, clay, dust particles, precipitates...)
After filtration, the solid that remains on the filter paper is called the residue. The liquid or solution that passes through the filter paper is called the filtrate.

-Evaporation to dryness
To separate soluble solid particles from a liquid. (e.g. common salt, sugar)
We evaporate water from the solution. For example, when we evaporate salt solution to dryness, we recover solid salt. This can be used to recover salt from seawater.
However, many substances decompose when they are heated strongly. For example, sugar will decompose to give water and carbon.

-Crystallisation
In crystallisation, water is removed by heating the solution. Heating is stopped at the stage when a hot saturated solution is formed. If the resulting solution is allowed to cool to roonm temperature, the dissolved solid will be formed as pure crystals.
A clean glass rod can be used to test whether a solution is saturated. It is dipped into the solution and removed. There will be a small amount of solution on the rod. If small crystals form on the rood as the solution cools, the solution is saturated. We say the solution is at its saturation point of crystallisation point.

Separating solids

Mixtures

Mixtures are formed when two substances are added together without chemical bonds being formed.

Picture of a mixture and compound:
Differences between a mixture an a compound

Criteria              Mixture                                                       Compound
Separation         The components of a mixture can be          The elements in a compound can only be
                          separated by physical methods (e.g.           separated by chemical reactions or by using
                          filtration. distillation or chromatography.)  electricity.

Properties          The chemical properties of a mixture are   The physical and the chemical properties of
                          the same of those of its components.         a compound are different from those of the
                                                                                            elements in the compound.

Energy change  No chemical reaction takes place when     A chemical reaction takes place when a
                          a mixture is formed - usually there is         compound is formed - usually there is an
                          little of no energy change.                         energy change, e.g. the reactants get hot.

Composition     The components of a mixture can be         The elements in a compound are always
                         mixed in any proportion.                            combined in a fixed proportion (by mass).

Friday, 18 January 2013

Compounds

Compounds are formed when elements are chemically combined together.

Example: When the element magnesium burns in the element oxygen, a brilliant white flame is seen and a new substance, magnesium oxide, is called a compound. The compound has very different properties from the elements that form it.

Compound                                   Elements present
common salt (sodium chloride)    sodium, chlorine
carbon dioxide                             carbon, oxygen
marble (calcium carbonate)          calcium, carbon, oxygen
copper(||) sulphate                        copper, sulphur, oxygen
hydrogen chloride                        chlorine, hydrogen



Thursday, 17 January 2013

Atoms and Molecules

Atoms

Elements are made of tiny particles called atoms. The atoms of one element are not the same as the atoms of another element.

Atoms- are the smallest particles of an element that have the chemical properties of that element.

*Each atom of an element is represented by the element's symbol.

1 atom in an element
Helium, neon, argon, krypton, xenon and radon are the only elements that existas individual atoms. They are monatomic elements. This means that their atoms are not joined together chemically.

Molecules

A group of two of more atoms that are chemically combined

H2 is used to represent a hydrogen molecule. H2 us the molecular formula of hydrogen.
(2 hydrogen atoms chemicallly combined)

O3 (ozone molecule) is 3 oxygen molecules chemically combined.

Types of molecules

  • diatomic molecules (two atoms chemically combined)
          -helium, argon
  • triatomic molecules (three)
  • polyatomic (four or more)

Elements

Classification of Elements

- metals
- non-metals

*Some elements have properties of both metals and non-metals.
  e.g. Silicon exists as solid and is shiny like a metal. However, it is also brittle like a non-metal.
  Elements like silicon, germanium, boron and arsenic are called metalloids.
     Metals
  • lustrous (shiny appearance)
  • solids at the conditions of room temperature and pressure
  • malleable (can be hammered into different shapes without breaking)
  • sonorous (make a ringing sound when struck)
  • ductile (can be drawn into wires)
  • high melting points and boiling points (except for sodium, potassium and mercury(
  • good conductors of heat
  • good conductors of electricity in all states of matter
     Non-metals
  • non-lustrous (dull appearance if solid)
  • either gases, volatile liquids or solids with low melting points at room conditions 
  • brittle if solid (easily broken when hammered)
  • low melting points and boiling points (except for carbon and silicon)
  • poor conductors of heat (except carbon in the form of diamond and graphite)
  • poor conductors of electricity (except carbon in the form of graphite)

Matter

      Matter

  • Elements 
     A pure substance that cannot be divided further by chemical processes (e.g.oxygen, chlorine)
  • Mixtures
     A pure substance that contains two or more elements chemically combined
  • Compounds                                                                       
     Two substances added together without chemical bonds being formed