Unit A: Investigating Properties of Matter
TOPIC 1: UNDERSTANDING MATTER
Part A: Chemical Storage and Disposal
From the time you get up in the morning to the time you go to bed, you encounter a great deal of chemicals. Some of these chemicals are harmless, while others have properties which make them dangerous if misused. An understanding of the safe handling, storage, and disposal of chemicals is essential in our daily lives, helping to protect our own health as well as that of the environment.
Part B: Describing Matter
Matter is anything that has mass and takes up space. You are both surrounded by it and made up of it. The Particle Theory of Matter helps explain the nature of matter and the physical & chemical characteristics of different substances; it also explains why matter exists in different states.
Part C: Classifying Matter
Matter can be classified as either a pure substance or mixture depending on the types of particles it contains
TOPIC 2: PURE SUBSTANCES
Part A: The Periodic Table
All matter is comprised of particles. These particles are known as atoms. Atoms vary in properties such as mass and reactivity; each variation thus results in a different type of matter, or element. Elements are substances that cannot be broken down into other substances, and are comprised of only one type of atom. Information about each element is included in the periodic table, which organizes all of the elements known to man according to these properties. An understanding of the periodic table allows us to predict the behavior of different elements under varying circumstances.
Part B: Compounds
Atoms of different elements may combine to form compounds. Although pure substances can consist of just one element, they are more commonly composed of one type of compound, or molecule.
TOPIC 3: MIXTURES
Part A: Solutions
Mixtures can be classified as either mechanical mixtures or suspensions. Suspension mixtures, or solutions, occur when two or more substances combine to form a mixture that is uniform in appearance. Many of the products we use are actually solutions. An understanding of the properties of solutions is important for both safety and innovation.
Part B: Acids & Bases
Most of the solutions we use on a daily basis are either acidic or basic. Acidity/basicity is a property associated with the way in which a substance interacts chemically with other substances; this property is commonly referred to as pH.