Inquiry Question: How do the properties of substances help us to classify and separate them?

SUMMARY (addressing individual syllabus points):

1. Explore homogenous mixtures and heterogenous mixtures through practical investigations:

• using separation techniques based on physical properties

• calculating percentage composition by weight of component elements and/or compounds

  Mixture - matter made up of two or more chemical species

  • Mixtures can be broken down into two different types of mixtures:

  • Homogenous Mixtures - a mixture that is uniform throughout (evenly spread out)

    • Examples: Air (gas), Milk (liquid) and Metal Alloy (solid)

  • Heterogenous Mixtures - a mixture that is not uniform throughout (not evenly spread out)

    • Examples: Sea water (with sand, seaweed and water)

  • Physical properties are required to separate mixtures as we want their separate physical components

  • Separating mixtures into their components relies on differences in the physical properties of the components

  • The different separating techniques and the specific physical properties it relies on include:

• separating mixtures, we can find how much each component weighs

• we can also find the percentage composition which is the percentage of each component in comparison to the total mixture

2. Investigate the nomenclature of inorganic substances using International Union of Pure and Applied Chemistry naming conventions

3. Classify the elements based on their properties and position in the periodic table through their

• physical properties

• Properties - characteristic behaviours of a substance

• help to describe and identify a substance

• help to separate and purify different substances

• Knowing where a particular element is located in the periodic table we can allow the prediction of some of its physical properties

• Also knowing an element's physical properties, we can predict roughly where it would be located or what type of element they are

• the periodic table highlights three basic classes of elements

  • Metals

    • mostly solid at room temperature

    • some are found in pure form but most are combined with other metals

    • They make up the: Transition metals, Groups 1 and 2 (alkaline and alkaline earth metals), Lanthonoids and Actonoids

    • Metal ions are positive ions (cations)

    • Examples: Sodium → Na, Magnesium → Mg

  • Non-metals

    • many found in the gaseous state with the exception of a few in the solid and liquid state

    • They make up: Groups 3, 4, 5, 6, 7 and 8 (including Halogens and Nobles Gases)

    • Non-metal ions are negative ions (anions)

    • Examples: Chlorine → Cl, Oxygen → O

  • Metalloids:

    • no definition or general characteristics

    • Examples: Silicon → Si, Arsenic → As

• Each of their properties are as follows:

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