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Matter and Materials
Quick questions on Atoms, elements and compounds: N(T) Science Matter and Materials
5short Q&A pairs drawn directly from our worked dot-point answer. For full context and worked exam questions, read the parent dot-point page.
What are atoms are the building blocks?Show answer
Everything around you is made of incredibly small pieces called atoms. Atoms are far too small to see, even with an ordinary microscope. They are the basic building blocks of all matter, in the same way that bricks are the building blocks of a wall. There are about a hundred different kinds of atom, and everything in the world is built from these kinds joined and arranged in different ways.
What are elements?Show answer
An element is a substance made of only one kind of atom. Because it contains just one type of atom, an element cannot be broken down into anything simpler by ordinary means.
What are compounds?Show answer
A compound is a substance made of two or more different elements that are chemically joined together. The word "joined" is important: the atoms are locked together in a chemical bond, not just sitting next to each other.
What are mixtures?Show answer
A mixture is made of two or more substances that are simply mixed together but not chemically joined. Because they are not joined, the parts of a mixture keep their own properties and can be separated again without a chemical reaction.
What is the key difference?Show answer
The simplest way to remember the difference: an element is one kind of atom, a compound is different atoms chemically joined, and a mixture is different substances mixed but not joined. A compound needs a chemical reaction to split it up; a mixture can be separated easily, for example by filtering or evaporating.
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