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Chemical Analysis

Pure substances

  • 3 things to know
  • Chemistry Paper 2

Overview

The chemical meaning of a pure substance, why pure substances melt and boil at fixed temperatures while mixtures change state over a range, using melting and boiling points to test purity, and the everyday meaning of pure compared with the chemist's.

What you need to know

Answer each one before you reveal it.

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Key term

In chemical terms, what is meant by a pure substance?

Key term

What is the difference between the way a pure compound changes state and the way a mixture does?

Key term

State the measurement you would take to check whether a solid sample is pure.

Questions from this subtopic

Each one with the model answer underneath.

  1. 1

    In chemical terms, what is meant by a pure substance?

    Model answer

    A pure substance is a single element or a single compound with nothing else mixed into it.

  2. 2

    A sample contains molecules of one compound and nothing else. Is it pure in the chemical sense?

    Model answer

    Yes, because it is a single compound that is not mixed with any other substance.

  3. 3

    Why is filtered sea water not a pure substance to a chemist?

    Model answer

    It is still a mixture of water and dissolved salts, so it is not a single element or compound.

  4. 4

    What is the difference between the way a pure compound changes state and the way a mixture does?

    Model answer

    A pure compound melts and boils at specific fixed temperatures, while a mixture melts and boils over a range of temperatures.

  5. 5

    State the measurement you would take to check whether a solid sample is pure.

    Model answer

    Measure its melting point and compare it with the accepted melting point of the pure substance.

  6. 6

    Explain why a pure element melts at one sharp temperature.

    Model answer

    All of its particles are identical, so they all need the same amount of energy to break free at the same temperature.

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