Unit 1

Building Blocks
 Menu
• To work through a topic click on
the title.
• Substances
• Chemical Reactions
• Bonding
• Acids and Alkalis
• End
Substances
 Safety
• Too avoid accidents we must be
careful carrying out experiments.
• Most safety rules are only common
sense.
• Never put chemicals near your
mouth.
• After using chemicals wash your
hands before eating.
• All practical work must be done at
the worktops.
• Do not sit on the worktops.
• Always wear safety goggles.
• If there is any broken glass report
it to your teacher so it can be
cleared up properly.
• Be careful to leave the bunsen
burner with a yellow flame if you
are not using it.
• When heating test tubes make
sure that they are not pointed at
anyone.
 Hazards
• There are laws about using chemicals to
help keep safe everyone who works
with chemicals.
• Hazard warning labels are attached to
dangerous chemicals.
• Hazard symbols are on road tankers to
warn about dangers should the
chemicals spill.
• Each hazard which is toxic,
corrosive, flammable, harmful or
irritant is given a simple symbol
which can be easily recognised.
• Here are some of these symbols.
Toxic
Corrosive
Flammable
Harmful
Irritant
 Elements
• Everything in the world is made
from about 100 elements.
• Each element has a name and a
symbol.
• The symbol is usually one capital
letter and one small letter e.g. Ca
• Chemists have arranged elements
in the Periodic Table.
 The Periodic Table
• The vertical columns are called
groups.
• Elements in the same group of the
Periodic Table show similar
chemical properties.
 Elements
• Many elements are solid at room
temperature.
• Mercury and bromine are liquid at
room temperature.
• 11 elements –hydrogen, nitrogen,
oxygen, fluorine, chlorine, helium,
neon, argon, krypton, xenon, radon
- are gases at room temperature.
• Elements can be classified as
metals or non-metals.
• There are more metals than non-
metals.
• Many elements have everyday
uses.
• Aluminium is used as kitchen foil.
• Carbon is used in pencil leads.
• Gold, silver and platinum are used
in jewellery.
• Copper is used in electrical wiring.
• Some elements, including gold,
silver and copper, have been
known for a long time.
• The most recently discovered
elements have been made by
scientists.
Mixtures
• Mixtures occur
when two or more
substances come
together without
reacting.
 Air
• Air is a mixture of gases.
• Air is approximately 80% nitrogen
and 20% oxygen.
• The test for oxygen is that it
relights a glowing splint.
• The splint will not relight in air
because there is not enough
oxygen.
 Compounds
• Compounds are
formed when
elements react
together.
• Compounds with a name ending in
“ –ide “ contain the two elements
named.
• Copper chloride contains copper
and chlorine.
• Sodium oxide contains sodium and
oxygen.
• Compounds with a name ending in
“ -ite “ or “ -ate “ contain the two
elements named and the element
oxygen.
• Copper carbonate contains copper,
carbon and oxygen.
• Sodium sulphite contains sodium,
sulphur and oxygen.
 Solutions
• A solution is formed when a
substance dissolves in a liquid.
• A substance which dissolves in a
liquid is soluble.
• A substance which does not
dissolve in a liquid is insoluble.
• If we only dissolve a small amount
of substance we make a dilute
solution.
• If we dissolve a large amount of
substance we make a concentrated
solution.
• A solution is diluted by adding
more liquid.
• A saturated solution is one in
which no more substance can be
dissolved.
 Substances
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Chemical
Reactions
 Chemical Reactions
• When a chemical reaction takes
place one or more new substances
are made.
• Burning a match is a chemical
reaction because new substances
are made.
• Melting ice is not a chemical
reaction since ice is solid water.
 How do we recognise a
chemical reaction?
• A lot of chemical • a change in
reactions occur in appearance
the world around • a colour change
us. • a gas produced
• When a chemical • a precipitate
reaction takes formed.
place one of the
following may • an energy change
happen
 How do we speed up a
chemical reaction?
• Changes in particle size affects the
speed of reactions, both in the
laboratory and in our everyday life.
• Powders react more quickly than
lumps.
• Mince will cook more quickly than
stew.
• Changes in temperature affect the
speed of reactions, both in the
laboratory and in our everyday life.
• Reactions take place more quickly
at high temperatures.
• An egg will fry more quickly if we
turn up the heat.
• Changes in concentration affect
the speed of reactions, both in the
laboratory and in our everyday life.
• Increasing the concentration of the
chemicals speeds up a reaction.
• Adding more bleach to water
speeds up the whitening of cloth.
 Catalysts
• A catalyst is a substance which
speeds up a reaction and is not
used up by the reaction.
• The exhaust system of a car
contains a catalytic converter
(containing platinum) to remove
harmful gases from the exhaust.
 Enzymes
• Enzymes are catalysts which affect
living things.
• Enzymes are used to make:
• Yoghurt
• Cheese
• Medicines
• Beer
 Uses of Enzymes
Enzyme Use

Cellulose Makes jeans more

faded
Zymase Changes sugars to
alcohol
Protease Used in washing
powder to remove
stains
Papain Makes meat tender
 Word Equations
• In a chemical reaction the
substances which react together
are called the reactants.
• The substances which are
produced are called the products.
• In a chemical equation we show
the reactants and products,
separated by an arrow, which
means “change into”.
• Reactants Products
• In a word equation we use the
names of the reactants and
products.

hydrogen + oxygen  water

 Chemical Reactions
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Reactions

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Bonding
 Atoms
• Every element is made up of very
small particles called atoms.
• Atoms of different elements are
different.
• Each element in the Periodic Table
has a number called the atomic
number.
The Periodic Table
Molecules
• Some substances are made up of
molecules.
• Molecules are made up of two or
more atoms held together by
strong bonds.
• Bonds between molecules are
weak.
Ions
• Some substances are made up of
ions.
• Ions can be positively or negatively
charged.
• Ionic compounds are made up of
oppositely charged ions.
• Bonds between ions are strong.
 Formulae
• A chemical formula uses chemical
symbols to show the number and
type of atom present.
• For example C3H8 means that the
molecule of this compound
contains 3 carbon atoms and 8
hydrogen atoms.
• We can write
formulae by
counting the
atoms in a model
or picture.
• We can write
formulae by
counting the
atoms in a model
or picture.
• We can write
formulae by
counting the
atoms in a model
or picture.
• We can write
formulae by
counting the
atoms in a model
or picture.
• We can write
formulae by
counting the
atoms in a model
or picture.
• We can write formulae by counting the atoms
in a model or picture.
• We can write formulae by counting the atoms
in a model or picture.
• The name can tell us how many
atoms are there.
• Mono- means 1
• Di- means 2
• Tri - means 3
• Tetra- means 4
• The name can tell
us how many
atoms are there.
• Mono- means 1
• Di- means 2
• Tri - means 3
• Tetra- means 4
• The name can tell
us how many
atoms are there.
• Mono- means 1
• Di- means 2
• Tri - means 3
• Tetra- means 4
• The name can tell
us how many
atoms are there.
• Mono- means 1
• Di- means 2
• Tri - means 3
• Tetra- means 4
• The name can tell
us how many
atoms are there.
• Mono- means 1
• Di- means 2
• Tri - means 3
• Tetra- means 4
 Bonding
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Acids and Alkalis
 The pH scale
• The pH scale ranges from below O
to above 14.
• Acids have a pH of less than 7
• Pure water and neutral solutions
have a pH equal to 7
• Alkalis have a pH of more than 7.
• To find the pH of solutions we can
use:
• Universal indicator
• pH paper
• A pH meter
 Acids and pH
• The lower the pH of an acid, the
greater the acidity
• Diluting acids makes them less
acid and so makes the pH lower.
 Alkalis and pH
• The higher the pH of an alkali, the
greater the alkalinity.
• Diluting alkalis makes them less
alkaline, and so increases their pH.
 Acids
• Acids are often used in the home,
in industry and the laboratory.
• The common laboratory acids are
hydrochloric acid, sulphuric acid
and nitric acid.
• Some household acids are vinegar,
lemonade, soda water and Coke.
 Alkalis
• Alkalis are often used in the home,
in industry and the laboratory.
• The common laboratory alkalis are
sodium hydroxide, lime water and
ammonia solution.
• Some household alkalis are baking
soda, oven cleaner, dishwashing
powder, bleach and soaps.
 Neutralisation
• Neutralisation takes place when
acid and alkali are mixed.
• When alkalis and acids react they
form salt and water
• Acid + Alkali  Salt + Water
• The salt contains the metal from
the neutraliser.
• When carbonates and acids react
they form salt, water and carbon
dioxide.

• Acid + Carbonate  Salt + Water + Carbon dioxide

• The salt contains the metal from

the neutraliser.
• Neutralisation increases the pH of
the acid up towards 7.
• Neutralisation decreases the pH of
the alkali down towards 7.
• Everyday examples of
neutralisation include reducing soil
acidity, reducing acidity in lakes
and treatment of indigestion.
 Salts
• In neutralisations
• hydrochloric acid forms chloride
salts
• sulphuric acid forms sulphate salts
• nitric acid forms nitrate salts.
 Acid Rain
• Carbon reacts with oxygen to
produce carbon dioxide.
• Sulphur reacts with oxygen to
produce sulphur dioxide.
• Nitrogen reacts with oxygen to
produce nitrogen dioxide.
• All of these oxides dissolve in
water to form acid solutions.
• Sulphur dioxide, produced by the
burning of fossil fuels dissolves in
water in the atmosphere to
produce acid rain.
• Nitrogen dioxide, produced by the
sparking of air in car engines
dissolves in water in the
atmosphere to produce acid rain.
• Acid rain damages
• Buildings made from carbonate
rock
• Structures made of iron or steel
• Soil
• Plant and animal life.
 Acids and Alkalis
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Alkalis.

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 The End
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