Chemistry: Elements, Compounds, and Mixtures

Elements, Compounds, and Mixtures

Let's review what we've learned about chemistry. In the previous sections, we've managed to learn … what a single atom looks like. This is nothing to sneeze at, but clearly we still have quite a way to go before we can call ourselves master chemists.

In this section, we're finally going to investigate the mysteries of elements, compounds, and mixtures. When I tell my students we're going to learn about these in class, they usually answer with groans and sighs, saying, "We already know about this stuff." As with the atom, they're sometimes surprised to find that there's more here than meets the eye!