CHEM 115 Chapter 1 (1.1, 1.2, & 1.
6) Notes
Chapter 1: Chemistry Basics – Matter (Sections 1.1, 1.2, 1.4, & 1.6)
Introduction
● What do you do in your everyday life that involves chemistry? ___everything____
● _Chemistry____ can be defined as anything that takes up space and weighs
something.
o What do scientists call space? ___matter_____
o What do scientists call weight? ___mass_____
1.1 Classifying Matter: Mixture or Pure Substance
● What are the two broad terms used to classify matter:
1. _Mixture___: a combination of two or more substances and can be
SEPARATED into its different components
▪ Two Types:
▪ __heterogeneous: composition is the same throughout____
● Examples: __spaghetti sauceΔ__
▪ __homogeneous: composition is not uniform but varies throughout___
● Examples:___Brass (copper and zinc atoms) ___
2. ___Pure substances________: matter made up of only one type of substance
▪ Two Types:
▪ __Element______: __Is the simplest type of matter because it is made up
of only one type of atom_____
● Atom: __Is the smallest unit of matter that keeps its unique
characteristics___
CHEM 115 Chapter 1 (1.1, 1.2, & 1.6) Notes
● Examples:__Copper, Cu __
▪ __Compound___: ____Pure substance made of two or more elements
chemically joined together__
● Examples:____CO2 ; H2O______
1.2 Elements, Compounds, and the Periodic Table
● The _____periodic table of the elements____ is a listing of all the elements found on
Earth.
● Each box contains a letter or two letter in the center of it. This is known as an
element’s ____chemical symbol________.
● How do elements get their names? ___The symbols are derived from the name of the
element. Some symbols are derived from Latin (sodium: natrium = Na; gold: aurum
= Au).
● A vertical column of blocks is called a ____group___ of elements.
o How are these numbered? ___Using numbers 1 through 18 for the columns,
recommended by the International Union of Pure and Applied Chemistry
(IUPAC) is also used___
o Numbers with an “A” after it (1,2, & 13 -18) are known as the __main-
group_____ elements. Some have special names.
● A horizontal column of blocks is called a ____period_____ of elements.
o How are these numbered? __Numbered from 1 to 7, with sections of periods
6 & 7 set apart at the bottom of the periodic table____
● The bold staircase-shaped line marks an important part of the periodic table. It
separates the ____metals__ from the ____nonmetals____. The ____metals____ are located
to the ____left___ of the staircase. The ___nonmetals______ are located to the ___right___
CHEM 115 Chapter 1 (1.1, 1.2, & 1.6) Notes
of the staircase. If the element touches the staircase, it is called a _____metalloid____,
with the exception being ___Aluminum___.
● Every compound has a representation. We call these representations __chemical
formulas___. They show how many of each element is contained in that compound
by using __subscripts___. If the element’s symbol is the only thing present, we
assume there is only _one_ atom of that element.
1.6 How Matter Changes
● Two ways matter changes
o In a ___physical change___, the form of matter is changed, but its identity
remains the same.
o A ___chemical change____ is when a substance (or substances) undergoes a
change that results in a new chemical identity of the substances (or
substances) involved.
● Chemical Equations
o A ___chemical equation______ is a chemist’s way of writing a sentence about
what happens in a chemical reaction.
o It is meant to be read ___left_____ to ___right_____
o Two sides are separated by a ___reaction arrow______ which means ____”react
to form”_______
▪ The left side of the equation is called __reactants____
▪ The right side of the equation is called ____products_____
o Sometimes ___reaction conditions____ are written above the _____reaction
arrow_____
CHEM 115 Chapter 1 (1.1, 1.2, & 1.6) Notes
o The labels in parentheses after each substance is called the ____physical
state_____
▪ Solid: ______(s)_______
▪ Liquid: ______(l)__________
▪ Gas: _______(g)_______
▪ Aqueous: ____ (aq)_____
o Balancing Chemical Equations
▪ Due to the ___law of conservation of mass______, matter can neither
be created or destroyed.
▪ This means the amount of matter on the __reactant__ side and the
__product___ side must be ___equal__
▪ For any chemical equation that you write, the number of each
__element____ must be the _same__ on both sides of the equation, or
_balanced_
▪ When needed, you can balance an equation by adding a number,
called a _coefficient____, in front of the chemical formula for a
substance in the chemical equation.
o Steps for Balancing Equations:
▪ Step 1: _EXAMINE THE ORIGINAL EQUATION. Is it balanced? If not,
proceed to step 2. __
▪ Step 2: __BALANCE THE EQUATION ONE ELEMENT AT A TIME BY
ADDING COEFFICIENTS. Balance elements that appear only once on a
side first_____
CHEM 115 Chapter 1 (1.1, 1.2, & 1.6) Notes
▪ Step 3: __CHECK TO SEE IF THE EQUATION IS BALANCED.
Coefficients should represent the least common denominator. __
