Everyday Chemistry

By Lisa Jackson

Lesson 2: What's the difference?

Summary and Bibliography

The main points of this lesson are:

• All matter can be divided into two categories, substances and mixtures.
• Substances can be divided into two categories, compounds and elements.
• Matter can form 4 states - solid, liquid, gas and plasma
• Matter has specific properties that we can use to adapt our world.
• Those properties can be divided into physical or chemical groups.
• A mixture can be separated back into its original components.
• There are several sub-categories of mixtures, including suspensions, colloids, solutions and alloys.

For your suggested project, you have a choice.

Choice 1 - You can go around the house and find three things of different densities. If you want to make it really hard, choose similar things, such as 3 kinds of soda (ex. regular, diet, and generic cola) or 3 kinds of shampoo. Compare them. How did you know the densities were different? Was that what you expected? Could you tell the densities were different at first glance, or did you need to test them?

Choice 2 - Try to name at least 2 other mixtures that you use every day. How did you know for sure they were mixtures? Can any of your friends name other ones?

Hess, Fred "Chemistry made simple" Underline New York, Doubleday, 1984

Herr, Norman and Cunningham, James, "Hands-On Chemistry Activities", San Francisco, Jossey-Bass, 1999

Masterson, William, Slowinski, Emil, and Stanitski, Conrad, "Chemical Principles", New York, Saunders College Publishing, 1981

Suplee, Curt, "Everyday Science Explained", Washington DC, National Geographic Society, 1996

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