Compounds and Mixtures to Make New Elements

1064 Words5 Pages
MORE THAN COMPOUND AND MIXTURES More than Compounds and Mixtures to Make New Element Alchemy once was practiced by witches and warlocks. In reward for the practice of the dark arts they were burned, hanged, and drowned. Even though the holy grail of turning base metals into gold and silver or elixir’s of long life was never achieved, their study became what we know call chemistry. (Mastin, 2009) Had witches of old knew what we know of atoms, they would have known that they could have made salt with ionic bonds, but not gold. A deeper understanding of compounds and mixtures could have led to medicines for different ailments, but not ever lasting life. Today, we have a clear understanding of compounds and their mixtures and how ionic and covalent bonds attract or share electrons. Compounds and mixtures Compounds, being of pure substances, are made up of two or more elements that are combined chemically. (What is the difference between a compound and a mixture?, 2012) Compounds also have fixed properties, such as boiling points and melting points. For example, water (H2O) has a melting point of 320 F, and a boiling point of 2110 F. (Properties of water, 2012) A compound can have different properties than the original compound. A new substance is actually formed when constituents are chemically combined and can only be separated by chemical means. (What is the difference between a compound and a mixture?, 2012) Two or more compounds can make up an element, which is a single substance from the periodic table. IE: Hydrogen, Carbon, Oxygen and Potassium would be a compound where H2O (One oxygen and two hydrogen atoms) would be an element. In contrast, mixtures are impure substances and can be made up of different compounds. Brass is a mixture of two metals, copper and zinc. (Mrs. Jacqueline Hilary Briggs, 2007) Mixtures don’t have the fixed

More about Compounds and Mixtures to Make New Elements

Open Document