Science Common Sense
1730 - What are the commonly used methods and principles for identifying substances?
There are several methods to identify substances. Here are a few common ones:
- Observation: Look at the substance's color, texture, and smell to get an idea of what it might be.
- Boiling and Melting Points: Heat the substance to see at what temperature it melts or boils. Different substances melt and boil at different temperatures.
- Chemical Tests: Mix the substance with other chemicals to see what happens. For example, adding vinegar to baking soda makes it fizz.
- Chromatography: Separate the substance into its different parts to identify what's in it.
- Density: Measure how heavy the substance is compared to its size. Different substances have different densities.
Some important principles to keep in mind when identifying substances include:
- The Law of Conservation of Mass: Matter can't be created or destroyed, only changed.
- The Law of Definite Proportions: A substance always has the same percentage of elements.
- The Law of Multiple Proportions: When elements combine to form different compounds, they do so in simple ratios.
These methods and principles can help you figure out what a substance is and what it's made of.