Rosary School / Marj El Hamam
Study sheet (1)
Name : _____________________ Date : / /2024
Grade : 7 (A,B,C,D) Subject : Chemistry
Atoms, elements and molecules
7Ha The air we breathe
All substances are made up of tiny particles called atoms.
Substances can be made of single atoms but they can also be made of atoms
bonded together in small groups, called molecules. Substances can also be made
of many trillions of atoms all bonded together.
Natural materials can be pure (containing one substance) or mixtures (containing
two or more substances which are not joined together). A mixture is formed if
elements are mixed without joining.
Air contains a mixture of particles.
Elements are simple substances made up of only one kind of atom.
Most substances are compounds, which contain more than one kind of atom (more
than one element) bonded (joined) together.
Workbook page 90+ 91
7Hb Earth’s Elements:
The periodic table lists all 118 known elements.(see page 205 in the mainbook)
Elements are described by symbols of one or two letters. The first letter is always a
capital letter and the second is always lower case.
The symbols are convention, agreed and used by scientists all over the world.
(international code).Symbols make it easy for scientists to communicate about
elements even if they do not speak the same language.
e.g. Oxygen = O Magnesium = Mg Iron = Fe Silicon = Si
Calcium= Ca Aluminium= Al Sodium= Na
We obtain all the elements and compounds we need for living from the Earth’s
atmosphere and crust.
Different elements have different properties and uses.
The properties of an element depend on its atoms and how they are arranged. The
uses of an element are linked to its properties.
The gases in the air all look the same- they are all colourless gases. However, they
behave differently.
- Oxygen makes things burn more quickly and so is used to help make very
high-temperature flames in some tools.
- Argon, nitrogen and carbon dioxide can all stop things burning and so are
used in fire extinguishing systems.
- The elememt carbon can be found in two different forms that contain the
same atoms. Diamond is one of the hardest natural substances, while
graphite is the soft solid used in pencil leads. The different properties are
due to the different ways the atoms are joined together.
Our resources are limited and some may run out in the near future. We need to take
care of our resources, recycle more and make less waste.
Workbook page 92
7Hc Metals and non-metals:
Elements can be classified as metals or non-metals, depending on their properties.
common physical properties of metals common physical properties of non-metals
high melting point solids low melting point (gases, liquids and
solids)
malleable and ductile brittle (when solid)
shiny (when polished) not shiny
good conductors of heat insulators (poor conductors) of heat
good conductors of electricity. insulators of electricity.
e.g. copper, iron, aluminium, zinc, tin. e.g. sulfur, oxygen, nitrogen, carbon,
iodine.
The uses of an element depend on its properties.
- Copper and aluminium are used for electrical cables as they are strong,
ductile and conduct electricity very well.
- Mercury is the only liquid metal. As it remians a liquid over a wide of range
of temperatures,it can be used in thermometres.
- Non- metallic silicon can be shiny like a metal, and has some unique
conducting properties that make it useful to make silicon chips for the
electronics industry.
- Unlike most non-metals graphite conducts electricity and is used in batteries
and electric motor.
Workbook page 93
7Hd Making compounds
Compounds are formed when elements are mixed and react so that the atoms join
together.
During a reaction, atoms are re-arranged and joined together in new ways. In the
reaction of iron and sulfur, the atoms will join together to form a compound called
iron sulfide. So new bonds have formed between sulfur and iron atoms , which are
now bonded together.
Naming compounds
If there is a metal in the compound, the name of the metal goes first.
If the compound contains only two elements then one of the element’s names has
its ending changed to ‘ide’.
e.g. zinc + oxygen 🡪 zinc oxide iron + bromine 🡪 iron
bromide
If a compound contains two elements plus oxygen, then the name ending of one of
the elements is changed to ‘ate’.
e.g. sodium + carbon + oxygen 🡪 sodium carbonate
Workbook page 95
7He Chemical reactions
Chemical reactions always form one or more new substances. New substances are
not formed in physical changes.
Many chemical reactions occur in everyday life, for example, burning, cooking,
rusting, and digesting food.
Typical signs of chemical reaction include:
● a colour change
● a gas being given off
● a solid forming in a liquid
● an energy change
How chemical reactions start:
1- Some reactions start just by mixing e.g. acid and alkalis
the right substances together.
2- Heat is often needed to start a e.g. burning natural gas
reaction, but once started many
reactions give out heat.
Others need a continuous supply of e.g. breaking down metal ores
energy to keep them going.
Modelling chemical reactions using word equations
Chemical reactions can be described using models called word equation.
reactants 🡪 products
e.g. zinc + chlorine 🡪 zinc chloride
reactant product
Thermal decomposition reactions involve breaking down a single compound using
heat.
e.g. tin carbonate 🡪 tin oxide + carbon dioxide
copper carbonate 🡪 copper oxide + carbon dioxide
mercury oxide 🡪 mercury + oxygen
The carbon dioxide can be detected using limewater (which turns ‘milky’ when
carbon dioxide is added.
The apparatus used to investigate the thermal decomposition of copper carbonate.
Workbook page 96+97
