Introduction to Matter
Matter
"Matter is the physical material of the universe; it is anything that
occupies space and has mass"
Matter can exist in three physical states:
- gas or vapor
- liquid
- solid
Gas
No fixed volume or shape - it conforms to the volume and shape of its
container. Gases can be
compressed or
expanded to occupy different volumes.
Liquid
A liquid has a distinct volume, independent of its container, but it has no
specific
shape. It assumes
the shape of the container it is in. Liquids cannot be appreciably compressed.
Solid
A solid has a definite shape and volume; it is rigid. Solids cannot be
appreciably compressed.
Substances
A pure substance has a fixed composition and distinct properties. Most
matter we come in contact with in our daily lives is not a pure substance, but
a mixture of substances.
Physical and Chemical Properties
Every pure substance has a unique set of
properties - characteristics which allow us to
distinguish it from other substances. These properties fall into two general
categories:
physical and
chemical.
Physical properties -
properties we can measure without changing the basic identity of the substance.
Chemical properties -
describe the way a substance may change or "react" to form other
substances.
Physical and Chemical Changes
Substances can undergo various changes in properties, these changes may be
classified as either physical or chemical.
Physical changes -
a substance changes its physical appearance but not its basic identity. All
changes of state (e.g. solid to liquid to gas) are physical changes.
Chemical changes -
also known as
chemical
reactions, a substance is
transformed into a chemically different substance.
Mixtures
Mixtures refer to combinations of two or more substances in which each
substance retains its own chemical identity and hence its own properties.
Heterogenous mixtures
are not uniform throughout the sample, and have regions of different appearance
and properties
Homogenous mixtures
are
uniform throughout the sample, however, the
individual substances retain their individual chemical and physical nature.
Homogenous mixtures are also called
solutions,
however, the most common type of solution is described by a solid (the
solute) dissolved in a
liquid (the
solvent).
An important characteristic of mixtures is that the individual components
retain their physical and chemical
properties. Thus, it is possible to
separate the components based on their
different properties. For example, we can separate ethanol from water by making
use of their different boiling temperatures, in a process known as
distillation.