In this lesson, you will define and identify types of substances and compare them to types of mixtures through the use of molecular and real-world examples.
Updated: 11/21/2023
Substance Definition, Types & Examples
Table of Contents
- Substance Definition
- Types of Substances
- Substance Examples
- Pure Substance Vs. Mixture
- Lesson Summary
Frequently Asked Questions
What are three examples of substances?
Substances can include elements or compounds. For example, a single atom of oxygen is an element. It is also considered the most basic type of substance since it is made of one atom. The water molecule is made of a compound, including two hydrogen atoms and one oxygen atom. This is also a substance.
What are the types of substances?
Types of substances include elements and compounds. Elements can be one atom, or a molecule containing the same atom types. Compounds are also molecules, but they contain two or more different atoms.
Table of Contents
- Substance Definition
- Types of Substances
- Substance Examples
- Pure Substance Vs. Mixture
- Lesson Summary
When you hear the term "substance," what comes to mind? You may think of a variety of things, such as water, glue, or even a mysterious sticky spot on the floor. In science, the term substance is used to define different types of matter with specific properties and compositions. All matter can be classified as either a substance or a mixture.
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All matter, in its basic form, is composed of atoms. Atoms bond together to form different kinds of substances. Pure substances come in two different forms: elements and compounds. Elements are made of one type of atom, either by itself or bonded together to form a molecule. Compounds are molecules that are composed of two, simpler substances. They are made of more than one type of atom chemically bonded together. Substances cannot be broken down into smaller parts without breaking the chemical bonds between atoms.
The properties of compounds differ from the individual atoms in which they are made. For example, oxygen and hydrogen atoms are gases at room temperature. When two oxygen atoms and one hydrogen atom bond together, they form a completely new substance -- water! Although the water molecule is composed of both oxygen and hydrogen, its properties are very different. Think about a fire. If you add oxygen to a fire, it accelerates the reaction. If you add water to a fire, it helps to put it out.
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To further investigate substances, look at some examples at the molecular level.
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The element, oxygen, is depicted by a single type of atom floating freely in its container. Oxygen, by itself, is an element. It cannot be broken down any further since oxygen is not bonded to another atom. | |
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The image to the left shows water molecules. Water contains both a hydrogen atom and two oxygen atoms bonded together. This forms a compound. To separate the oxygen atoms from the hydrogen atom, you would have to break the chemical bonds between each atom. As discussed, if you broke the atoms apart, they would become completely new substances. |
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Recall, matter is classified as either a substance or a mixture. Mixtures differ from substances because mixtures are a combination of two or more substances. The amount (concentration) of substances mixed together determines the properties the mixture will exhibit. For example, if you mixed two compounds, salt and water together, you would make a mixture of saltwater.
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The concentration, or amount, of each substance you add to the mixture will determine its properties. If you add more salt to less water, the mixture will contain more salt molecules and be saltier. If you add less salt to more water, your mixture will contain more water molecules and be less salty. No matter how much of each substance you mix together, you will still have the same mixture -- saltwater! Yet, the amounts of each substance will give the mixture its specific characteristics.
Unlike substances, mixtures are not separated by chemical changes. Mixtures are separated by physical means (physical changes).
| For example, if you make a glass of saltwater, you could separate both compounds by boiling the mixture. When you boil the mixture, the water molecules will evaporate and the solid salt molecules will be left behind in the glass. Both salt and water molecules stay intact and keep their individual properties. |
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Heterogenous Vs. Homogeneous Mixtures
Mixtures can be classified by how the substances in the mixture are distributed. There are two types of mixtures: heterogeneous and homogeneous.
Heterogeneous comes from the Greek word hetero, meaning "different," and genus, meaning "kind." As its name implies, heterogeneous mixtures contain substances that are noticeably different from one another. For example, if you look at a jar of mixed nuts, you will notice that each nut is a different size, shape, and color. This would be an example of a heterogeneous mixture since there is a noticeable difference between each type of nut.
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Other examples of heterogeneous mixtures include: ice cubes in juice saltwater clouds in the sky cereal in milk salad dressing |
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Homogeneous comes from the Greek word homo, meaning "same," and genus, meaning "kind." As its name implies, homogeneous mixtures contain substances that are noticeably the same in size, color, and texture. For example, if you look at a jar of almonds, you will notice that each nut is the same and is distributed throughout the container in a similar pattern. This would be an example of a homogenous mixture since all of the nuts appear similar throughout the container.
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Other examples of homogeneous mixture include: water blood (plasma) air vinegar cement |
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Solutions, Suspensions, and Colloids
It may be easy to tell the difference between heterogeneous mixtures and homogeneous mixtures, however, it can be hard to differentiate homogeneous mixtures from substances. In these cases, taking a look at the composition of the mixture can help define its characteristics. Based on the overall size of a mixture's largest particles, the mixture can be further classified as either a solution, suspension, or colloid.
| Solutions | Solutions are examples of homogenous mixtures. If you mix salt in warm water, the salt will dissolve and create a salt and water solution. Its appearance will look uniform throughout. |
| Suspensions | Suspensions are an example of a heterogeneous mixture. They can be separated by physical means, such as taking a bottle of salad dressing and shaking it vigorously. Once shaken, the dressing mixes together, but you can still make out the individual substances. When left to rest, the like substances will settle back together and separate. |
| Colloids | Colloids are types of homogeneous mixtures. Their particle sizes fall into a range between a solution and suspension. This makes them have very similar properties to solutions, except their particles are larger. Colloidal particles do not settle out and cannot typically be separated by physical means. Fog is a great example of a colloidal mixture. The particles are large enough to see with the naked eye and distribute evenly within the air. |
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- Substances consist of both elements and compounds.
- Elements are composed of one type of atom, whereas compounds are composed of two or more types of atoms.
- Substances can only be separated by chemical changes.
- Mixtures are a combination of two or more substances.
- Mixtures can either be heterogeneous or homogeneous.
- Solutions and colloids are types of homogeneous mixtures.
- Suspensions are a type of heterogeneous mixture.
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Video Transcript
What Is a Substance?
Did you know that everything in the entire universe is some form of matter? It's true! Anything that has mass and takes up space is recognized as matter. That means matter is everything, including your desk, your clothes, your food, and even you! All matter, however, is not the same. In fact, if we follow the flow chart shown here, we see that the matter around us can be classified into one of two categories: mixtures or substances.
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The term 'substance' is fairly common and tends to be used with several different meanings in everyday language. However, in the world of physical science, a substance is simply a pure form of matter. In other words, a substance is matter that contains only one type of atom or molecule. Meanwhile, a mixture contains a combination of different atoms or molecules and is therefore said to be impure.
Types of Substances
Continuing along our flow chart, we see that pure substances can be further divided into two sub-categories: elements and compounds.
Elements are the simplest form of matter, which means they cannot be broken down into smaller components physically or chemically. All elements are listed on the periodic table, and there are at least 118 of them known to man! Examples of elements include carbon (C), hydrogen (H), oxygen (O), and sodium (Na), just to name a few.
Compounds, on the other hand, are made up of two or more different elements held together by chemical bonds and functioning as a unit. While compounds are also pure substances, they differ from elements because compounds can be broken down into simpler components (the elements that make up the compound). Some examples of compounds are carbon dioxide (CO2), rust (Fe2O3), and table salt (NaCl).
Examples of Substances
Let's discuss a few examples of pure substances.
A sample of silicon consists of only one type of atom: silicon atoms. Therefore, silicon is a pure substance. Since these silicon atoms are in their simplest form and cannot be broken down any further, the substance, silicon, is also an element. Remember, an easy way to figure out whether or not something is an element is to look for it on the periodic table. Anything represented on the periodic table is an element and is, therefore, a pure substance! Silicon is number 14 on the periodic table and has the symbol Si.
Sugar has the chemical formula C12H22O11. This tells us that it's comprised of 12 carbon atoms, 22 hydrogen atoms, and 11 oxygen atoms bonded together and functioning as a unit, which means sugar is a compound (and can be broken down further into the individual elements carbon, hydrogen, and oxygen). Thus, sugar is a pure substance. An easy way to figure out whether or not something is a compound is to consider whether it has a chemical formula. Anything that can be represented by a chemical formula is a chemical compound and is, therefore, a pure substance!
Water is a pure substance, depending upon its variety. For instance, distilled water and seawater have different properties. Seawater contains H2O molecules as well as salt molecules and probably many other ions and atoms. Thus, seawater is considered a mixture. Distilled water, however, contains only H2O molecules and is therefore a pure substance. Since the H2O molecules in distilled water are composed of 2 hydrogen atoms and 1 oxygen atom all bonded together and functioning as a unit, the pure substance water is classified as a compound and could be broken down chemically into the individual elements hydrogen and oxygen.
Lesson Summary
A substance is simply a pure form of matter. In other words, a substance is matter than contains only one type of atom or molecule. Pure substances can be further divided into two sub-categories: elements and compounds. Elements are the simplest form of matter, which means they cannot be broken down into smaller components physically or chemically. Compounds, on the other hand, are made up of two or more different elements held together by chemical bonds and functioning as a unit.
The Two Types of Pure Substances
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| Elements | Compounds |
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| *Cannot be broken down into smaller components *Can be found on the periodic table *Ex: Iron |
*Made up of two or more elements held together by chemical bonds and functioning as a unit *Ex: Carbon dioxide, water |
Learning Outcomes
When you've finished, you should be able to:
- State the definitions of substance, matter, and mixture
- Discuss the two types of pure substances
- Provide examples of pure substances
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