Simple Classification of Substances

Topic Objectives

By the end of this topic, the learner should be able to:

• Carry out simple experiments to obtain pure substances from mixtures;
• State the criteria for identifying a pure substance;
• Define and determine the melting point and boiling point of a substance;
• Explain the three states of matter (solid, liquid, gas) in terms of a simplified form of the kinetic theory;
• State the effect of heat on a variety of substances;
• Distinguish between permanent and non-permanent changes;
• Define an element, a compound, an atom and a molecule;
• Name and write the chemical symbols of common elements;
• Recognize the constituents of matter from given examples;
• Distinguish between mixtures and compounds;
• Apply separation techniques to extract various substances from natural sources.