CHAPTER 8: PURE SUBSTANCES

NOTES:

Atoms:
 An atom is the smallest unit of matter.
 Atoms are the basic building blocks of matter.
 It cannot be chemically further divided by ordinary means.
 The word ‘atom’ is derived from the Greek word ’atomos’ which means indivisible.
 John Dalton suggested that atom are the tiny hard balls that are indivisible, Indestructible
and too small to be seen.
 He also stated that molecules of a compound are formed by a combination of two or more
different kinds of atoms.
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Molecules :
 A Molecule is made up of one or more atoms linked together.
 Molecules are the small particles that make up of living and nonliving things.
 Example: carbon dioxide, Carbon dioxide molecule is formed by the combination of one
carbon atom with two oxygen atoms.( as shown on page number 76 of your text book)
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Matter (Pure substances/ Mixtures) is made up of elements and compounds.

Please refer the flowchart given on page number 77.

Pure substances :
 Pure substances are made up of molecules made of one type of atom (elements) or on
combination of two or more different kinds of atoms in a definite proportion.
(compounds).
 Examples of pure substance are iron, copper, table salt, sugar, water etc.
 Properties of pure substance do not change. Ex: sugar will always stay taste sweet and
salt will always be salty.
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ELEMENTS:
An element is made up of only one kind of atoms.
 Till date we have 117 elements that have been discovered. Of these, 94 elements occur naturally
on earth’s surface.
 Some elements are also created by artificial means in Laboratories.
 All Metal living or nonliving consists of elements.
 Atoms weather found on earth or on metroids are in the red soil of mass are all of the same type.
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COMPOUNDS:
Definition: Compounds are formed by chemical combination of two or more elements combined
in a definite proportions.
For example 1) Table salt of sodium chloride is a compound whose molecules are made from
one atom of the element ‘Sodium’ and other atom of the element ‘chlorine’.
Sodium chloride or table salt is a compound whose molecules are made from one atom of the element
‘Sodium’ and one atom of the element ‘chlorine’ and compounds are formed by chemical combination of
two or more elements combined in a definite proportion. So, we call sodium chloride or table salt a
compound.
2) Water is the compound made from two atoms of element ‘hydrogen’ and one atom of element
‘oxygen’.
3) Baking powder is a compound whose molecules are made up of 4 different types of atom
these are Sodium, hydrogen, carbon and oxygen .

SOME COMMONLY USED ELEMENTS:

 Iron is present in blood.

 Our daily glass of milk contains element that is needed for the growth of our body minerals like
calcium, sodium, zinc, etc. form an important part of our food and dietary supplement.
 Some elements such as sodium and potassium help in maintaining the water balance in our
body.
 Bohrium is the only element that exist for maximum of 61 second and was name after the famous
physicist Neils Bohr.

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