Chem1-Inorganic Chemistry
Republic of the Philippines
Surigao del Sur State University
Tagbina Campus
Tagbina, Surigao del Sur 8308
Email address:
Website: www.sdssu.edu.ph
MODULE
IN
INORGANIC CHEMISTRY
(CHEM 1)
NAME: _____________________________________________
PROGRAM / YEAR LEVEL: ____________________________
INSTRUCTOR: ______________________________________
SEMESTER: __________________
SCHOOL YEAR: _______________
Page 1 of 39
,Chem1-Inorganic Chemistry
Lesson 1
Basic Concepts about Chemistry
Introduction
In this lesson, the question “What exactly is chemistry about?” is addressed. In addition, common
terminology associated with the field of chemistry is considered. Much of this terminology is introduced
in the context of the ways in which matter is classified. Like all other sciences, chemistry has its own
specific language. It is necessary to restrict the meanings of some words so that all chemists (and those
who study chemistry) can understand a given description of a chemical phenomenon in the same way.
Learning Objectives
By the end of this module you should be able to do the following:
• demonstrate understanding on the concept of matter;
• differentiate the properties of the solid, liquid and gaseous states of matter;
• classify matter as element, compound or mixture; and
• separate the components of the mixture using their own procedure.
Discussion
2.1 Chemistry: The Study of Matter
Chemistry is the field of study concerned with the characteristics, composition, and transformations
of matter. What is matter? Matter is anything that has mass and occupies space. The term mass refers to
the amount of matter present in a sample.
Matter includes all naturally occurring things—both living and nonliving— that can be seen (such
as plants, soil, and rocks), as well as things that cannot be seen (such as air and bacteria). Matter also
includes materials that do not occur naturally, that is, synthetic materials that are produced in a
laboratory or industrial setting using, directly or indirectly, naturally-occurring starting materials.
Various forms of energy such as heat, light, and electricity are not considered to be matter. However,
chemists must be concerned with energy as well as with matter because nearly all changes that matter
undergoes involve the release or absorption of energy.
1.2 Physical States of Matter
Three physical states exist for matter: solid, liquid, and gas. The classification of a given matter sample in
terms of physical state is based on whether its shape and volume are definite or indefinite.
1.3 Properties of Matter
Various kinds of matter are distinguished from each other by their properties. A property is a
distinguishing characteristic of a substance that is used in its identification and description. Each substance
has a unique set of properties that distinguishes it from all other substances. Properties of matter are of
two general types: physical and chemical.
Page 2 of 39
,Chem1-Inorganic Chemistry
• A physical property is a characteristic of a substance that can be observed without changing
the basic identity of the substance. Common physical properties include color, physical state
(solid, liquid, or gas), melting point, boiling point, and hardness.
• A chemical property is a characteristic of a substance that describes the way the substance
undergoes or resists change to form a new substance. When chemical properties are specified,
conditions such as temperature and pressure are usually given because they influence the
interactions between substances.
EXAMPLE 1.1
Classify each of the following properties of selected metals as a physical property or
a chemical property.
a. Iron metal rusts in an atmosphere of moist air.
b. Mercury metal is a liquid at room temperature.
c. Nickel metal dissolves in acid to produce a light green solution.
d. Potassium metal has a melting point of 63°C.
Solution
a. Chemical property. The interaction of iron metal with moist air produces a new
substance (rust).
b. Physical property. Visually determining the physical state of a substance does not
produce a new substance.
c. Chemical property. A change in color indicates the formation of a new substance.
d. Physical property. Measuring the melting point of a substance does not change the
substance’s composition.
ON YOUR OWN
1.1 Classify each of the following properties of selected metals as a physical property or a
chemical property.
a. Titanium metal can be drawn into thin wires.
b. Silver metal shows no sign of reaction when placed in hydrochloric acid.
c. Copper metal possesses a reddish-brown color.
d. Beryllium metal, when inhaled in a finely divided form, can produce serious lung disease.
1.4 Changes in Matter
Changes in matter are common and familiar occurrences. Like properties of matter, changes in matter
are classified into two categories: physical and chemical.
• A physical change is a process in which a substance changes its physical appearance but
not its chemical composition. A new substance is never formed as a result of a physical
change. A change in physical state is the most common type of physical change. Melting,
freezing, evaporation, and condensation are all changes of state.
• A chemical change is a process in which a substance undergoes a change in chemical
composition. Chemical changes always involve conversion of the material or materials
under consideration into one or more new substances, each of which has properties and
a composition distinctly different from those of the original materials.
Page 3 of 39
, Chem1-Inorganic Chemistry
EXAMPLE 1.2
Complete each of the following statements about changes in matter by placing the
word physical or chemical in the blank.
a. The fashioning of a piece of wood into a round table leg involves a _____________
change.
b. The vigorous reaction of potassium metal with water to produce hydrogen gas is
a _____________ change.
c. Straightening a bent piece of iron with a hammer is an example of a _____________ change.
d. The ignition and burning of a match involve a _____________change.
Solution
a. Physical. The table leg is still wood. No new substances have been formed.
b. Chemical. A new substance, hydrogen, is produced.
c. Physical. The piece of iron is still a piece of iron.
d. Chemical. New gaseous substances, as well as heat and light, are produced as the match burns.
ON YOUR OWN
1.2 Complete each of the following statements about changes in matter by placing the
word physical or chemical in the blank.
a. The destruction of a newspaper through burning involves a _____________change.
b. The grating of a piece of cheese is a _____________change.
c. The heating of a blue powdered material to produce a white glassy substance and a gas is a
_____________change.
d. The crushing of ice cubes to make ice chips is a _____________change.
1.5 Pure Substances and Mixtures
In addition to its classification by physical state, matter can also be classified in terms of its chemical
composition as a pure substance or as a mixture.
• A pure substance is a single kind of matter that cannot be separated into other kinds of matter
by any physical means. All samples of a pure substance contain only that substance and nothing
else.
• A mixture is a physical combination of two or more pure substances in which each substance
retains its own chemical identity. Components of a mixture retain their identity because they
are physically mixed rather than chemically combined.
Mixtures are subclassified as heterogeneous or homogeneous. This subclassification is based on visual
recognition of the mixture’s components.
• A heterogeneous mixture is a mixture that contains visibly different phases (parts), each of
which has different properties. A nonuniform appearance is a characteristic of all
heterogeneous mixtures.
• A homogeneous mixture is a mixture that contains only one visibly distinct phase (part), which
has uniform properties throughout. The components present in a homogeneous mixture cannot
be visually distinguished.
1.6 Elements and Compounds
Chemists have isolated and characterized an estimated 9 million pure substances. A very small number
of these pure substances, 118 to be exact, are different from all of the others. They are elements. All of the
rest, the remaining millions, are compounds. What distinguishes an element from a compound? An
element is a pure substance that cannot be broken down into simpler pure substances by chemical means
such as a chemical reaction, an electric current, heat, or a beam of light. The metals gold, silver, and copper
are all elements.
A compound is a pure substance that can be broken down into two or more simpler pure substances by
chemical means. Water is a compound. By means of an electric current, water can be broken down into
the gases hydrogen and oxygen, both of which are elements. The ultimate breakdown products for any
Page 4 of 39
Republic of the Philippines
Surigao del Sur State University
Tagbina Campus
Tagbina, Surigao del Sur 8308
Email address:
Website: www.sdssu.edu.ph
MODULE
IN
INORGANIC CHEMISTRY
(CHEM 1)
NAME: _____________________________________________
PROGRAM / YEAR LEVEL: ____________________________
INSTRUCTOR: ______________________________________
SEMESTER: __________________
SCHOOL YEAR: _______________
Page 1 of 39
,Chem1-Inorganic Chemistry
Lesson 1
Basic Concepts about Chemistry
Introduction
In this lesson, the question “What exactly is chemistry about?” is addressed. In addition, common
terminology associated with the field of chemistry is considered. Much of this terminology is introduced
in the context of the ways in which matter is classified. Like all other sciences, chemistry has its own
specific language. It is necessary to restrict the meanings of some words so that all chemists (and those
who study chemistry) can understand a given description of a chemical phenomenon in the same way.
Learning Objectives
By the end of this module you should be able to do the following:
• demonstrate understanding on the concept of matter;
• differentiate the properties of the solid, liquid and gaseous states of matter;
• classify matter as element, compound or mixture; and
• separate the components of the mixture using their own procedure.
Discussion
2.1 Chemistry: The Study of Matter
Chemistry is the field of study concerned with the characteristics, composition, and transformations
of matter. What is matter? Matter is anything that has mass and occupies space. The term mass refers to
the amount of matter present in a sample.
Matter includes all naturally occurring things—both living and nonliving— that can be seen (such
as plants, soil, and rocks), as well as things that cannot be seen (such as air and bacteria). Matter also
includes materials that do not occur naturally, that is, synthetic materials that are produced in a
laboratory or industrial setting using, directly or indirectly, naturally-occurring starting materials.
Various forms of energy such as heat, light, and electricity are not considered to be matter. However,
chemists must be concerned with energy as well as with matter because nearly all changes that matter
undergoes involve the release or absorption of energy.
1.2 Physical States of Matter
Three physical states exist for matter: solid, liquid, and gas. The classification of a given matter sample in
terms of physical state is based on whether its shape and volume are definite or indefinite.
1.3 Properties of Matter
Various kinds of matter are distinguished from each other by their properties. A property is a
distinguishing characteristic of a substance that is used in its identification and description. Each substance
has a unique set of properties that distinguishes it from all other substances. Properties of matter are of
two general types: physical and chemical.
Page 2 of 39
,Chem1-Inorganic Chemistry
• A physical property is a characteristic of a substance that can be observed without changing
the basic identity of the substance. Common physical properties include color, physical state
(solid, liquid, or gas), melting point, boiling point, and hardness.
• A chemical property is a characteristic of a substance that describes the way the substance
undergoes or resists change to form a new substance. When chemical properties are specified,
conditions such as temperature and pressure are usually given because they influence the
interactions between substances.
EXAMPLE 1.1
Classify each of the following properties of selected metals as a physical property or
a chemical property.
a. Iron metal rusts in an atmosphere of moist air.
b. Mercury metal is a liquid at room temperature.
c. Nickel metal dissolves in acid to produce a light green solution.
d. Potassium metal has a melting point of 63°C.
Solution
a. Chemical property. The interaction of iron metal with moist air produces a new
substance (rust).
b. Physical property. Visually determining the physical state of a substance does not
produce a new substance.
c. Chemical property. A change in color indicates the formation of a new substance.
d. Physical property. Measuring the melting point of a substance does not change the
substance’s composition.
ON YOUR OWN
1.1 Classify each of the following properties of selected metals as a physical property or a
chemical property.
a. Titanium metal can be drawn into thin wires.
b. Silver metal shows no sign of reaction when placed in hydrochloric acid.
c. Copper metal possesses a reddish-brown color.
d. Beryllium metal, when inhaled in a finely divided form, can produce serious lung disease.
1.4 Changes in Matter
Changes in matter are common and familiar occurrences. Like properties of matter, changes in matter
are classified into two categories: physical and chemical.
• A physical change is a process in which a substance changes its physical appearance but
not its chemical composition. A new substance is never formed as a result of a physical
change. A change in physical state is the most common type of physical change. Melting,
freezing, evaporation, and condensation are all changes of state.
• A chemical change is a process in which a substance undergoes a change in chemical
composition. Chemical changes always involve conversion of the material or materials
under consideration into one or more new substances, each of which has properties and
a composition distinctly different from those of the original materials.
Page 3 of 39
, Chem1-Inorganic Chemistry
EXAMPLE 1.2
Complete each of the following statements about changes in matter by placing the
word physical or chemical in the blank.
a. The fashioning of a piece of wood into a round table leg involves a _____________
change.
b. The vigorous reaction of potassium metal with water to produce hydrogen gas is
a _____________ change.
c. Straightening a bent piece of iron with a hammer is an example of a _____________ change.
d. The ignition and burning of a match involve a _____________change.
Solution
a. Physical. The table leg is still wood. No new substances have been formed.
b. Chemical. A new substance, hydrogen, is produced.
c. Physical. The piece of iron is still a piece of iron.
d. Chemical. New gaseous substances, as well as heat and light, are produced as the match burns.
ON YOUR OWN
1.2 Complete each of the following statements about changes in matter by placing the
word physical or chemical in the blank.
a. The destruction of a newspaper through burning involves a _____________change.
b. The grating of a piece of cheese is a _____________change.
c. The heating of a blue powdered material to produce a white glassy substance and a gas is a
_____________change.
d. The crushing of ice cubes to make ice chips is a _____________change.
1.5 Pure Substances and Mixtures
In addition to its classification by physical state, matter can also be classified in terms of its chemical
composition as a pure substance or as a mixture.
• A pure substance is a single kind of matter that cannot be separated into other kinds of matter
by any physical means. All samples of a pure substance contain only that substance and nothing
else.
• A mixture is a physical combination of two or more pure substances in which each substance
retains its own chemical identity. Components of a mixture retain their identity because they
are physically mixed rather than chemically combined.
Mixtures are subclassified as heterogeneous or homogeneous. This subclassification is based on visual
recognition of the mixture’s components.
• A heterogeneous mixture is a mixture that contains visibly different phases (parts), each of
which has different properties. A nonuniform appearance is a characteristic of all
heterogeneous mixtures.
• A homogeneous mixture is a mixture that contains only one visibly distinct phase (part), which
has uniform properties throughout. The components present in a homogeneous mixture cannot
be visually distinguished.
1.6 Elements and Compounds
Chemists have isolated and characterized an estimated 9 million pure substances. A very small number
of these pure substances, 118 to be exact, are different from all of the others. They are elements. All of the
rest, the remaining millions, are compounds. What distinguishes an element from a compound? An
element is a pure substance that cannot be broken down into simpler pure substances by chemical means
such as a chemical reaction, an electric current, heat, or a beam of light. The metals gold, silver, and copper
are all elements.
A compound is a pure substance that can be broken down into two or more simpler pure substances by
chemical means. Water is a compound. By means of an electric current, water can be broken down into
the gases hydrogen and oxygen, both of which are elements. The ultimate breakdown products for any
Page 4 of 39
