Chapter 2

The atmosphere

2.1 Getting to know our planet Earth

2.2 Classification of matter

2.3 The atmosphere

2.4 Separation of oxygen and nitrogen from air

2.5 Test for oxygen

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Planet Earth as a source of chemicals

Atmosphere
Air:
nitrogen, oxygen, noble gases

Ocean
Sea water:
water, sodium chloride and other minerals
From the electrolysis of sea water, we can
get:
Hydrogen, chlorine and
sodium hydroxide

Earth’s crust Living organisms: medicines

Under the sea: Sand, rocks: metals

petroleum, natural gases

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2.2 Classification of matter

Pure substances and mixtures

• Matter can be classified into pure substances and mixtures.

• A pure substance is a single substance that has no other

substances mixed with it.

• A mixture consists of two or more pure substances which have

not chemically combined together.

The soft drink in this can is a mixture.

It contains mainly water, sweetener,
carbon dioxide and other ingredients.

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2.2 Classification of matter

Pure substances and mixtures

• Nitrogen Pure substance

• Air Mixture
• Silver ear ring Pure substance
• Diamond Pure substance
• Distilled water Pure substance
• Mineral water Mixture
• Town gas Mixture
• Wine Mixture
• Stainless steel Mixture
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Elements and compounds

• A pure substance can either be an element or a compound.

• An impure substance is always a mixture.
• An element is a pure substance that cannot be broken down
into anything simpler by chemical methods.
• A compound is a pure substance made up of two or more
elements chemically combined together.

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Elements and compounds

Elements Compound

Sodium
Sodium
chloride
chemically combined
Chlorine

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Elements and compounds
electricity
Water hydrogen + oxygen
compound element element

oxygen hydrogen

electricity
Sodium chloride sodium + chlorine

compound element element

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Examples of elements:

Mercury Sodium Chlorine Sulphur

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 Examples of compounds:

Sodium chloride Sucrose

Carbon dioxide Silicon dioxide
(dry ice) (quartz)

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Some compounds and their constituent
elements

Compound Constituent elements

Glucose (C6H12O6) Carbon, hydrogen,

oxygen

Ammonia (NH3) Nitrogen, hydrogen

Sulphuric acid Hydrogen, oxygen,

(H2SO4) sulphur
Mixtures, Elements or Compounds ?

compound element

element mixture compound

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carbon + oxygen → carbon dioxide
element element compound

copper oxide + carbon → copper + carbon dioxide

compound element element compound

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Differences between mixtures and compounds

• If we mix black iron filings and yellow sulphur powder together,

a yellowish grey mixture forms.
• No sign of heat change is observed.
• The iron and sulphur still retain their original properties in
the mixture.
• The iron can be separated from sulphur by a magnet.

A mixture of iron and sulphur

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• When we strongly heat the mixture of iron filings and sulphur
powder, the elements combine together chemically.
•A new brown substance, the compound iron(II) sulphide, forms.
•Iron(II) sulphide cannot be attracted by a magnet.

A compound formed from

iron and sulphur

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 mixture compound
Composition by mass variable fixed
no reaction takes reaction takes place
Changes in formation
place
Melting point (m.p.)
No sharp m.p. and b.p. Sharp m.p. and b.p.
and boiling point (b.p.)
properties are entirely
each constituent different from those of
General properties substance retains its its constituent
own properties elements

Separation of
By physical method By chemical method
constituents

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 Matter

separation by
physical methods Pure
Mixtures
substances
direct mixing

separation by
chemical methods
Elements
chemical
combination

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Properties of substances

• The properties of any substances can be classified into its

physical properties and chemical properties.

Physical properties of a substance are those properties that can be

determined without changing it into another substance.

• Appearance (colour and physical state) • Boiling point

• Odour (smell) • Solubility
• Taste • Malleability
• Hardness • Ductility
• Density • Electrical conductivity
• Melting point • Heat conductivity

Chemical properties of a substance are those properties that describe

the ability of that substance to react with other substance(s) or to
change from one substance to another. 17
 Class practice 2.3
Classify each of the following descriptions of the
property of a substance as physical property or
chemical property.
(a) Ice melts at 0°C.
Physical property
(b) Iron effervesces in dilute acid.
Chemical property
 Class practice 2.3
(c) Silver conducts electricity when it is
connected to a circuit.
Physical property
(d) Magnesium chloride, a compound formed
from magnesium and chlorine, is soluble in
water.
Physical property
Physical change and chemical change

A physical change is a change in which no new substances are

produced.

de
ing

po
elt

su

sti
ing
m

bl

on
im
ez

at
fre

io
n
condensation

boiling

A chemical change is a change in which one or more new

substances are produced.
e.g. carbon + oxygen à carbon dioxide 5
 Class practice 2.4
Classify each of the following changes as a
physical change or chemical change.
(a) Condensation of steam on a cold surface
Physical change
(b) Grinding a vitamin C tablet into powder
Physical change
 Class practice 2.4
(c) Burning of petrol in car engine
Chemical change

(d) Newspaper turns yellow after exposure to

air for a long time
Chemical change
The atmosphere
Composition of air

oxygen
carbon dioxide (0.03%), 21%
noble gases (~0.9%),
water vapour and other
gases (small amounts)
nitrogen
78%

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 Class practice 2.5
Air contains nitrogen, oxygen, water vapour,
carbon dioxide, argon, helium, neon, krypton
and xenon.
Classify the components of air into elements
and compounds.
Elements: nitrogen, oxygen, argon, helium,
neon, krypton and xenon
Compounds: water vapour, carbon dioxide
Uses of oxygen

for breathing with oxygen cylinder for diving

for breathing with oxygen mask in medical use
to facilitate burning using oxy-acetylene torch for metal
cutting

Uses of nitrogen

used in food packaging

as a refrigerant
making ammonia and fertilizers
making ice cream 26
The atmosphere

Separation of oxygen and nitrogen from air

The components in air are separated by a process called

fractional distillation of liquid air.

There are three stages:

Purification of air
Liquefaction of air
Fractional distillation of liquid air

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 Stage 1: Stage 2: Stage 3:
Purification Liquefaction Fractional distillation
of air of air of liquid air

Dust, water
vapour and
carbon dioxide very cool nitrogen gas
are filtered at low (b.p. –196!C)
temp.
Air becomes liquid.
less cool argon gas
(b.p. –186!C)

warmer oxygen gas

(b.p. –183!C)
Air is compressed Liquid air is warmed.
and then cooled. Different gases in
the air boil at
different
liquefaction unit fractionating temperatures, so
we can collect them
column one by one.

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Exercise
1. Nitrogen, argon and oxygen exist as different
states at different temperatures. Complete the
following table.
State of
Temperature nitrogen argon oxygen
(°C) (m.p. = –210°C; (m.p. = –189°C; (m.p. = –219°C;
b.p. = –196°C) b.p. = –186°C) b.p. = –183°C)

–205 liquid solid liquid

–188 gas liquid liquid
–185 gas gas liquid
–182 gas gas gas
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 Exercise
The table on the right Gas Boiling
shows the boiling points of point (°C)
some of the gases found Argon -186
in air. Nitrogen -196
Neon -246
(a) Rearrange the gases
into the order in which Oxygen -183
they would boil off Xenon -109
during fractional Carbon -78
distillation of liquid air. dioxide
Helium -269
Krypton -153

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Answer
(a) Helium −269
Neon −246
Nitrogen −196
Argon −186
Oxygen −183
Krypton −153
Xenon −109
Carbon dioxide −78

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(b) List the gases Gas Boiling
which would still be point (°C)
gaseous at −200°C. Argon -186
Nitrogen -196
Neon -246
Oxygen -183
Xenon -109
Carbon -78
dioxide
Helium -269
Krypton -153
(b) Neon and helium.

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2.5 Test for oxygen

Oxygen supports burning.

Oxygen relights a glowing splint.

Test for hydrogen

Hydrogen reacts with oxygen.

Hydrogen produces pop sound with a burning splint.

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