Classification of Matter

Matter is all around you. You breathe matter, sit

on it, and drink it every day. What words would
you use to describe different kinds of matter?
There are two ways by which matter can be
classified, one way is to classify matter
according to its physical state. Another way is
to classify matter according to its composition.
 Pure substance
• Pure substances consist of only one type
of matter. A pure substance can be
an element, which consists of only one
type of atom and cannot be broken down
by a chemical change, or a compound,
which consists of two or more types of
atoms.
 Elements and Compounds
• An element is a substance that consists of only
one type or kind of atom. An element is a pure
substance as it cannot be broken down or
transformed into a new substance even by
using some physical or chemical means.
Elements are mostly metals, non-metals or
metalloids.
• All elements are mostly pure substances. A few
of them include gold, copper, oxygen, chlorine,
diamond, etc.
• Compounds, on the other hand, are
also pure substances when two or
more elements are combined
chemically in a fixed ratio. However,
these substances can be broken
down into separate elements by
chemical methods.
• Compounds such as water, salt or
crystals, baking soda amongst others
are also grouped as pure substances.
COMMON ELEMENTS & THEIR USES
 METALS
• With the exception of hydrogen, all elements
that form positive ions by losing electrons
during chemical reactions are called metals.
Thus metals are electropositive elements
with relatively low ionization energies. They
are characterized by bright luster, hardness,
ability to resonate sound and are excellent
conductors of heat and electricity. Metals are
solids under normal conditions except for
Mercury.
 Properties of Metals
• State: Metals are solids at room temperature with the exception of mercury, which is
liquid at room temperature (Gallium is liquid on hot days).
• Luster: Metals have the quality of reflecting light from their surface and can be polished
e.g., gold, silver and copper.
• Malleability: Metals have the ability to withstand hammering and can be made into thin
sheets known as foils. For example, a sugar cube sized chunk of gold can be pounded
into a thin sheet that will cover a football field.
• Ductility: Metals can be drawn into wires. For example, 100 g of silver can be drawn
into a thin wire about 200 meters long.
• Hardness: All metals are hard except sodium and potassium, which are soft and can be
cut with a knife.
• Valency: Metals typically have 1 to 3 electrons in the outermost shell of their atoms.
• Conduction: Metals are good conductors because they have free electrons. Silver and
copper are the two best conductors of heat and electricity. Lead is the poorest conductor
of heat. Bismuth, mercury and iron are also poor conductors
• Density: Metals have high density and are very heavy. Iridium and osmium have the
highest densities whereas lithium has the lowest density.
• Melting and Boiling Points: Metals have high melting and boiling points. Tungsten
has the highest melting and boiling points whereas mercury has the lowest. Sodium and
potassium also have low melting points.
 Non-metals

• Elements that tend to gain electrons to

form anions during chemical reactions are
called non-metals. These are
electronegative elements with high
ionization energies. They are non-lustrous,
brittle and poor conductors of heat and
electricity (except graphite). Non-metals
can be gases, liquids or solids.
 Physical properties of non-metals
• Physical State: Most of the non-metals exist in two of the
three states of matter at room temperature: gases (oxygen)
and solids (carbon). Only bromine exists as a liquid at room
temperature.
• Non-Malleable and Ductile: Non-metals are very brittle, and
cannot be rolled into wires or pounded into sheets.
• Conduction: They are poor conductors of heat and electricity.
• Luster: These have no metallic luster and do not reflect light.
• Melting and Boiling Points: The melting points of non-
metals are generally lower than metals, but are highly variable.
• Seven non-metals exist under standard conditions as diatomic
molecules: H2(g), N2(g), O2(g), F2(g), Cl2(g), Br2(l), I2(s).
 Metalliods
• Metalloids have properties intermediate between the
metals and nonmetals. Metalloids are useful in the
semiconductor industry. Metalloids are all solid at room
temperature. They can form alloys with other metals.
Some metalloids, such as silicon and germanium, can act
as electrical conductors under the right conditions, thus
they are called semiconductors. Silicon for example
appears lustrous, but is not malleable nor ductile (it
is brittle - a characteristic of some nonmetals). It is a much
poorer conductor of heat and electricity than the metals.
The physical properties of metalloids tend to be metallic,
but their chemical properties tend to be non-metallic. The
oxidation number of an element in this group can range
from +5 to -2, depending on the group in which it is
located.
Acids and Bases
• Acids is a compound that donates H⁺ ions in an
aqueous solution. It tastes sour and turns blue
litmus to red.
• Base is a compound that accepts H⁺ ions in an
aqueous solution. It tastes bitter and turns red
litmus to blue.
• Salts is a compound that is formed when an acid
and a base react. This reaction which forms salt
and water is called nuetralization.
Indicators
 Salts
• Salts are ionic compounds made of a cation other than H+ ion and an anion
other than OH– ion.