General Chemistry 1

Unit 1 Worksheet

Name Section

Worksheet 1

PROPERTIES of MATTER
This section helps you identify the characteristics of matter and substances. It teaches you how to differentiate among
the three states of matter. It also defines a physical property and lists examples of physical properties and physical
changes.

Describing Matter

1. What is matter?

2. What is an extensive property?

3. What is an intensive property?

4. Matter that has a uniform and definite composition is called a ______________________.

5. How many kinds of matter does a pure substance contain? _____________________

6. Is the following sentence true or false? All samples of a substance have different physical properties. __________

7. A physical property is a quality or condition of a substance that can be ________________ without changing the
substance’s composition.

8. Circle the letter of the term that is NOT a physical property.

a. odor b. density c. boiling point d. corrosion

9. Is the following sentence true or false? A chemist can help identify a substance by its physical properties.
____________

States of Matter
10. Circle the letter of the term that is NOT a physical state of matter.
a. water
b. gas
c. liquid
d. solid
11. Match each arrangement of the particles in matter with a physical state.

Physical State Arrangement

___ gas a. packed tightly together
___ liquid b. close, but not rigidly packed
___ solid c. spaced far apart

12. Is the following sentence true or false? The words gas and vapor can be used interchangeably. _______________

13. The term gas is limited to those substances that exist in the gaseous state at ordinary ___________ and
____________.

14. What is vapor?

Physical Changes

A physical change alters a given material without changing its chemical ___________________.

15. What are some words that describe physical change? ________________________ (there are six possible answers)

16. What do boiling, melting and freezing have in common? ___________________

MIXTURES
This section explains how to categorize a sample of matter as a substance or a mixture. It also teaches you how to
distinguish between homogeneous and heterogeneous samples of matter.

Classifying Mixtures
17. Is the following sentence true or false? Most samples of matter are mixtures. ___________________

18. What is a mixture? _____________________________________________________________________________

19. Is the following sentence true or false? A heterogeneous mixture is one that has a completely uniform composition.
_____________________________

20. What is another name for a homogeneous mixture? _________________________________

21. Circle the letter of the term that describes a part of a system with uniform composition and properties.
a. solution
b. mixture
c. state
d. phase

22. How many phases exist in these types of mixtures?

a. Homogeneous _________________

b. Heterogeneous _______________
Match each type of solution with an example of it.
23. ____ solid-solid a. sugar water

24. ____ solid-liquid b. carbon mixed with iron to form steel

25. ____ gas-liquid c. soda water

26. ____ gas-gas d. air

Separating Mixtures
27. Is the following sentence true or false? It is always easy to separate the components in mixtures. _________________

ELEMENTS AND COMPOUNDS

This section explains the difference between an element and a compound. It also helps you identify the chemical
symbols of common elements, and name common elements, given their symbols.

Distinguishing Elements and Compounds

28. What are the two groups into which substances can be classified? ________________ and ______________

29. Is the following sentence true or false? Elements can be separated easily into simpler substances. _______________

30. Compounds are substances that can be separated into simpler substances only by ___________________ means.

31. Is the following sentence true or false? The properties of compounds are different from those of their component
elements. __________________

Distinguishing Substances and Mixtures

32. Is the following sentence true or false? The elements that make-up a substance is always present in the same
proportions. _____________________

Symbols and Formulas

33. What is used to represent each element? ________________________

34. What are chemical symbols used for? ___________________________

35. The subscript numbers in chemical formulas represent the proportions of the various elements in the
________________________________

36. Use the periodic table to answer the following questions.

a. Pb is the symbol for what element? ________________________

b. What is the symbol for gold? ______________________________

c. Stibium is the Latin name for which element? ________________

CHEMICAL REACTIONS
This section helps you differentiate between physical and chemical changes in matter. It also teaches you how to apply
the law of conservation of mass.

Chemical Changes
37. What happens in a chemical reaction?

38. What is a chemical property?

39. Is the following sentence true or false? Chemical properties are observed only when a substance undergoes a
chemical change. ________________________

40. In chemical reactions, the starting substances are called _______________ and the substances formed are called
_____________________.

41. Circle the letter of the term that best completes the sentence. A chemical change results in a change
in chemical composition of the substances involved.
a. sometimes
b. rarely
c. always
d. never

Recognizing Chemical Reactions

42. What are some words that describe chemical change? _________________________ (there are five possible
answers)

43. Which representation of a chemical reaction is correct?

a. Products  Reactants
b. Reactants  Products

Conservation of Mass
44. During a chemical reaction, the mass of products is always equal to the mass of ______________________.

45. The law of conservation of mass states that in any physical change or chemical reaction, mass is neither
___________________ nor ___________________.
 Chemical vs. Physical Properties, Elements, Compounds and Mixtures

Name Period

Worksheet 2

1. In your own words, differentiate between the following terms:

Chemical Change and a Physical Change

Chemical Property and Physical Property

2. Indicate whether the following are physical or chemical changes.

a. Melting candle wax

b. Tearing Mg ribbon

c. Adding HCl to Mg

d. Tearing Paper

e. Grinding CuSO4

f. Burning Paper

g. Heating CuSO4

h. Dissolving NaCl

i. Mixing NaCl and Sand

3. Describe the difference between elements, compounds, and mixtures. Give an example of an element,
which is then in a compound, which is also in a mixture.

4. Can a compound be broken down to smaller components (i.e. elements or smaller compounds) by physical means?
Use an example to support your position.

5. Describe the difference between a homogenous mixture and a heterogeneous mixture. Provide an example of
each and explain why they homogeneous or heterogeneous.

6. Discuss why physical properties are better to use to separate mixtures than chemical properties. Use an
example to illustrate your point.
 Qualitative vs. Quantitative, Accuracy vs. Precision

Name Period

Worksheet 3

1. Identify the following as quantitative or qualitative measurements.

a. A flame is hot.
b. A candle has a mass of 90 g.
c. Wax is soft.
d. A candle’s height decreased 4.2 cm/hr.

2. Which of these synonyms or characteristics apply to the concept of accuracy? Which apply to
the concept of precision?

a. multiple measurements
b. correct
c. repeatable
d. reproducible
e. single measurement
f. true value

3. Under which circumstances could a series of measurements of the same quantity be precise but
not accurate?

4. Comment on the accuracy and precision of these basketball free-throw shooters.

a. 99 of 100 shots are made.

b. 99 of 100 shots hit the front of the rim and bounce off.

c. 33 of 100 shots are made; rest miss.

5. A student estimated the volume of a liquid in a beaker as 200 ml. When she poured the liquid
into a graduated cylinder, she measured the volume as 208 ml. What is the percent error of the
estimated volume from the beaker, taking the measurement in the graduated cylinder as the
accepted value? (show your solution)