Pure Substances Example

Pure substances are those that have a fixed chemical composition, such is the case of substances such as water, helium or nitrogen, they are those that have similar characteristics and are made up of atoms and molecules of the same type, or are substances in which their components are clearly defined, and these are not modified or transformed even if there are various conditions that could provoke it.

Types of pure substances

1. Simple substances

We can define them as those that cannot be decomposed or separated into each component, water is an example very clear of a simple substance since it is not easy to separate it into its two main components: oxygen and hydrogen.

2. Compound substances

They are those that through chemical processes can be separated into other substances, and these in turn are classified into organic (oxides, bases and salts) and inorganic (proteins, carbohydrates), however, as mentioned above its composition is constant, same number of atoms and molecules.

On the earth's surface we can find few examples of pure substances, since their components are sometimes extremely difficult to find in their pure state, however, most are part of the periodic table, so it is easy identify them.

Characteristics of pure substances

• Pure substances can be found in the 3 states of matter: liquid, solid and gas.
• They are capable of changing from one state to another without altering their properties, or the number of atoms they have, this is called: phase state. For this reason it is called a pure substance.
• They have electrical conductivity, that is, the ability to conduct electrical current to other elements
• Malleability are easily cut
• Each of the substances has its own melting and boiling point.
• They have properties such as: volume, pressure, energy and viscosity.

All chemical elements are pure substances.

Within nature they are counted as pure substances, compounds that are found in the environment, which cannot be divide within nature, such is the case of water, salt, carbon dioxide, ethyl alcohol and acetone between others.

Examples of pure substances (elements):

Aluminum (Al) .- It is a substance that at room temperature is in a solid state, it is a metal.

Silicon (Si) .- It is one of the most abundant substances in the earth's crust in combinations with other elements, it is a metalloid that is also found in pure state, and it is in that state that it has special semiconductor properties, which facilitate its use in various components technological.

Argon (Ar) .- This substance is at room temperature in the gaseous state.

Calcium (Ca) .- It is a substance that occurs at room temperature in solid form.

Carbon (C) .- It is a substance that can form bonds of this same element in different combinations, forming pure substances such as carbon, graphite and diamonds.

Helio (He) .- This substance is found naturally in the gaseous state.

Hydrogen (H) .- The state in which it is found in normal conditions is gaseous.

Mercury (Hg) .- It is a (metallic) substance, which is usually in the form of a fluid, (liquid state), and has a fairly low boiling point compared to other metallic substances.

Nitrogen (N) .- This substance is naturally in the gaseous state, but it is usually liquefied at high pressures and low temperatures, to be used as a refrigerant.

Oxygen (O) .- It is a gaseous substance, it can form simple or compound molecules, such is the case of ozone, which is a substance made up of three oxygen atoms.

List of pure substances:

• Actinium (Ac).
• Americio (Am).
• Antimony (Sb).
• Arsenic (As).
• Astato (At).
• Sulfur (S).
• Barium (Ba).
• Beryllium (Be).
• Berkelium (Bk).
• Bismuth (Bi).
• Bohrio (Bh).
• Boron (B).
• Bromine (Br).
• Cadmium (Cd).
• Californium (Cf).
• Cerium (Ce).
• Cesium (Cs).
• Zinc (Zn).
• Zirconium (Zr).
• Chlorine (Cl).
• Cobalt (Co).
• Copper (Cu).
• Chromium (Cr).
• Curium (Cm).
• Dysprosium (Dy).
• Dubnio (Db).
• Einsteinium (Es).
• Erbium (Er).
• Scandium (Sc).
• Tin (Sn).
• Strontium (Sr).
• Europium (Eu).
• Fermio (Fm).
• Fluorine (F).
• Phosphorus (P).
• Francio (Fr).
• Gadolinium (Gd).
• Gallium (Ga).
• Germanium (Ge).
• Hafnium (Hf).
• Hassio (Hs).
• Iron (Fe).
• Holmium (Ho).
• Indian (In).
• Iodine (I).
• Iridium (Go).
• Ytterbium (Yb).
• Yttrium (Y).
• Krypton (Kr).
• Lanthanum (La).
• Lawrencio (Lr).
• Lithium (Li).
• Lutetium (Lu).
• Magnesium (Mg).
• Manganese (Mn).
• Meitnerius (Mt).
• Mendelevius (Md).
• Molybdenum (Mo).
• Neodymium (Nd).
• Neon (Ne).
• Neptunium (Np).
• Niobium (Nb).
• Nickel (Ni).
• Nobelio (No).
• Gold (Au).
• Osmium (Os).
• Palladium (Pd).
• Silver (Ag).
• Platinum (Pt).
• Lead (Pb).
• Plutonium (Pu).
• Polonium (Po).
• Potassium (K).
• Praseodymium (Pr).
• Promethium (Pm).
• Protactinium (Pa).
• Radius (Ra).
• Radon (Rn).
• Rhenium (Re).
• Rhodium (Rh).
• Rubidium (Rb).
• Ruthenium (Ru).
• Rutherfordio (Rf).
• Samarium (Sm).
• Seaborgio (Sg).
• Selenium (Se).
• Sodium (Na).
• Thallium (Tl).
• Tantalum (Ta).
• Technetium (Tc).
• Tellurium (Te).
• Terbium (Tb).
• Titanium (Ti).
• Thorium (Th).
• Thulium (Tm).
• Ununbium (Uub).
• Ununhexium (Uuh).
• Ununnilium (Uun).
• Ununoctium (Uuo).
• Ununpentium (Uup).
• Ununquadium (Uuq).
• Ununseptium (Uus).
• Ununtrium (Uut).
• Unununium (Uuu).
• Uranium (U).
• Vanadium (V).
• Tungsten (W).
• Xenon (Xe)

Pure substances made up of atoms of the same element:

Diamond is a pure substance in whose molecular structure there are only carbon atoms, configured in such a way that they are strongly held together, in a geometric structure compact and firm.

Ozone is a substance whose molecules are made up of three oxygen atoms.