c



Any substance that contains only one kind of an atom is known as an  
 Because
atoms cannot be created or destroyed in a chemical reaction, elements such as phosphorus
(P4) or sulfur (S8) cannot be broken down into simpler substances by these reactions

Example: Water decomposes into a mixture of hydrogen and oxygen when an electric current
is passed through the liquid Hydrogen and oxygen, on the other hand, cannot be decomposed
into simpler substances They are therefore the elementary, or simplest, chemical substances -
elements

Each element is represented by a unique symbol The notation for each element can be found
on the periodic table of elements

The elements can be divided into three categories that have characteristic properties: metals,
nonmetals, and semimetals Most elements are metals, which are found on the left and toward
the bottom of the periodic table A handful of nonmetals are clustered in the upper right
corner of the periodic table The semimetals can be found along the dividing line between the
metals and the nonmetals

V

Elements are made up of atoms, the smallest particle that has any of the properties of the
element ohn Dalton, in 1803, proposed a modern theory of the atom based on the following
assumptions

1 Matter is made up of atoms that are indivisible and indestructible

2 All atoms of an element are identical
3 Atoms of different elements have different weights and different chemical
properties
4 Atoms of different elements combine in simple whole numbers to form
compounds
5 Atoms cannot be created or destroyed When a compound decomposes, the
atoms are recovered unchanged

 


Elements combine to form chemical compounds that are often divided into two categories

Metals often react with nonmetals to form Ô Ô


  These compounds are
composed of positive and negative ions formed by adding or subtracting electrons from
neutral atoms and molecules
Nonmetals combine with each other to form
 

 , which exist as neutral
molecules

The shorthand notation for a compound describes the number of atoms of each element,
which is indicated by a subscript written after the symbol for the element By convention, no
subscript is written when a molecule contains only one atom of an element Thus, water is
H2 O and carbon dioxide is CO2

 


 


D Ô

    
 

Contain positive and negative ions
(Na+Cl-)
Solids suchs as table salt (NaCl(s))
High melting and boiling points
Strong force of attraction between
particles
Separate into charged particles in water
to give a solution that conducts
electricity
Exist as neutral molecules (C6 H12O2)
Solids, liquids,or gases (C6H12 O6(s),
H2O(l), CO2(g))
Lower melting and boiling points
(ie, often exist as a liquid or gas at
room temperature)
Relatively weak force of attraction
between molecules
Remain as same molecule in water
and will not conduct electricity


ÔÔ Ô
 ÔD Ô
   

Calculate the difference between the electronegativities of two elements in a compound and
the average of their electronegativites, and find the intersection of these values on the figure
shown below to help determine if the compound is ionic or covalent, or metallic
’ 
’ 


For each of the following compounds, predict whether you would expect it to be ionic or
covalent

(a) chromium(III) oxide, Cr2O3

(b) carbon tetrachloride, CCl4

(c) methanol, CH3 OH

(d) strontium fluoride, SrF 2

’ 
’ 


Use the following data to propose a way of distinguishing between ionic and covalent
compounds

ÿ
  
 
 ÿ    
 ÿ
Cr2O3 2266 4000
SrF2 1470 2489
CCl4 -229 766
CH3OH -978 647
’ 
’ 


Which of the following compounds should conduct an electric current when dissolved in
water?

(a) methanol, CH3 OH

(b) strontium fluoride, SrF 2

  

A

  is the smallest particle that has any of the properties of a compound The formula
for a molecule must be neutral When writing the formula for an ionic compound, the charges
on the ions must balance, the number of postive charges must equal the number of negative
charges

Examples:

Balanced formula has 2 positive charges (1 calcium ion with

CaCl2 +2 charge) and 2 negative charges (2 chloride ions with a -1
charge)
Balanced formula has 6 positive charges (2 aluminum ions
Al2(SO4 )3 with a +3 charge) and 6 negative charges (3 sulfate ions with -
2 charge)

Ô
 


The  


 ÔÔ  states that the ratio by mass of the elements in a chemical
compound is always the same, regardless of the source of the compound The law of constant
composition can be used to distinguish between compounds and mixtures of elements:

  


 ÔÔ 

Ô
   Water is always 888% O and
112% H by weight regardless of its source Brass is an example of a mixture of two
elements: copper and zinc It can contain as little as 10%, or as much as 45%, zinc

Another difference between compounds and mixtures of elements is the ease with which the
elements can be separated Mixtures, such as the atmosphere, contain two or more substances
that are relatively easy to separate The individual components of a mixture can be physically
separated from each other
Chemical compounds are very different from mixtures: The elements in a chemical
compound can only be separated by destroying the compound Some of the differences
between chemical compounds and mixtures of elements are illustrated by the following
example using raisin bran and "Crispix"

Raisin bran has the following characteristic properties of a




m? The cereal does not have a constant composition; the ratio of raisins to bran flakes
changes from sample to sample
m? It is easy to physically separate the two "elements," to pick out the raisins, for
example, and eat them separately

Crispix has some of the characteristic properties of a ÷
 

m? The ratio of rice flakes to corn flakes is constant; it is 1:1 in every sample
m? There is no way to separate the "elements" without breaking the bonds that hold them
together