Secondary One Chemistry 2015

Elements

Syllabus Objectives
1. Recognise that substances can be
classified as elements, compounds
and mixtures
2. Distinguish among elements,
compounds and mixtures
3. State that elements are the basic
building blocks of living and nonliving matter
4. Recognise that elements are classified
according to their properties
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What are elements?

1. Elements are the basic building
blocks of all matter (living and nonliving things).

What are elements?

Earth crust is made
of up these
elements:

The human body is

made of up these
elements:

What are elements?

2. An element is a pure substance that
cannot be broken down into
simpler substances by chemical
methods.
3. Each element consist of only one
type of atom.

Which particulate diagram represents the

element iron? Explain why.

It consists of one
type of atom
only.

Which particulate diagram represents the

element chlorine? Explain why.

It consists of one
type of atom only.

The Periodic Table of

Elements

1. How many elements are there?

- 116 known elements
- 92 occur naturally, 24 are man-made
2. How do we know what are the
elements?
- All the discovered elements are
classified into a table called the
Periodic Table.

The Periodic Table of

Elements

The Periodic Table of Elements

The names of elements are
represented by chemical symbols.

As we move from left to right

along a period, the properties
of elements gradually change
from metals to non-metals.

Exercise 1
Use the Periodic Table to complete the table
below.
Element
Chemical
Symbol
Silver
Lithium
Neon
Magnesium
Sodium
Lead
Tungsten

Ag
Li
Ne
Mg
Na
Pb
W

How can we classify

elements?

1. Classifying elements by state (at

room temp)

Solids (e.g.: sodium, magnesium)

Liquids (e.g.: mercury, bromine)

Gases (e.g.: oxygen, chlorine)

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How can we classify

elements?
2. Classifying elements as metals and
non-metals
Property

Metals

Non-metals

Electrical
conductivity

good

non-conductors

Appearance

shiny

dull

Strength

strong and hard

weak and soft

Durability

malleable and
ductile

brittle and break

easily

Thermal
conductivity

good

poor

Density

high

low

Melting and
boiling points

high

low
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What happens when

different elements combine
together?
When different types of elements combine
together, they form new substances.

Plants give
out oxygen

Oxygen combines with

element silicon to form
sand.

Oxygen combines with

element hydrogen to
form water.
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Exercise 2
The following substances are made of
different elements combined together.
Complete the following table.
Substance
Water
Carbon
dioxide
Glucose
Common
Salt

Elements making up the

substance
hydrogen, oxygen
oxygen, carbon
carbon, oxygen, hydrogen
sodium, chlorine
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Exercise 3
Water is broken down into hydrogen and
oxygen when an electric current is passed
through it.

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a) From the experiment, is water an element?

Water can be broken down
into simpler substances which is oxygen
and hydrogen.
b) What elements does water contains?
Oxygen and hydrogen
c) Deduce the ratio of elements that form
water.

The ratio of

oxygen : hydrogen is 1:2.

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d) Compare the physical properties of water

with the physical properties of its
constituent elements?
Oxygen and hydrogen are gases while
water is a liquid.

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