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What is the best method to classify a chemical substance? - Coggle Diagram
What is the best method to classify a chemical substance?
What is the chemical substance?
Elements, compounds, or mixtures
What is the nature of the substance? (Classification)
Type of chemical bonds
Covalent
Ionic
Metallic
The structure of the substance
Lattice
Molecule
Network
Physical/Chemical properties
Malleable/ductile, or not
Brittle or hard
State of matter (liquid, gas, solid)
Observation
Melting point
Type of substance
Pure element
Mixture
Compound
Charge
Cation (positive)
Anion (negative)
Existing tests
Conductivity kit
If conducts in solid form, metallic bonding
If conducts in dissolved form, ionic
If does not conduct, covalent
Melting point test
Low melting point, covalent
High melting point, ionic or metallic
Organic substances will blacken due to the carbon content
Hardness test
If brittle, covalent or ionic
If malleable, metallic
Precipitation test
Elements present in compounds can be revealed through colour of precipitation
Solubility test
If soluble in water, ionic
If insoluble, metallic
If soluble in a substance of similar polarity, but not opposing polarity, covalent
Benedict's Test
Can reveal simple carbohydrates in a substance
Risk assessment
Safety
Melting test
Risk of being burnt
be aware of surroundings, make sure bunsen burner is on orange flame
Risk of inhaling harmful chemicals through the air
Risk of gas leak
Ethical
Incorrect disposal of chemicals, bad for environment
Make sure to clarify before disposal
Creating dangerous chemicals by accident
Limitations
Time limit
Not having enough time to conduct experiments for the substances, makes it difficult to collect conclusive data
Limit to useable tests
Existing tests that the school does not have access to could be beneficial to substance classification