Classification Of Matter, Physical And Chemical Classification, Important Topics For JEE 2025

Classification Of Matter : Welcome, curious minds, to the captivating world of matter! From the air we breathe to the food we eat, everything around us is made up of matter. But have you ever wondered how scientists classify different types of matter? In this article, we'll embark on an enlightening journey to explore the classification of matter, breaking down complex concepts into simple terms that anyone can understand. By the end of our exploration, you'll have a clear understanding of the various categories of matter and their significance in our everyday lives.

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What is Matter?

Matter is anything that occupies space and has mass. It encompasses everything around us, including solids, liquids, gases, and even the tiniest particles like atoms and molecules.

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Classification Of Matter

Classification Of Matter : Matter is further classified into two categories:

(i) Physical Classification (ii) Chemical Classification

1. • Physical Classification:

   It is based on physical state under ordinary conditions of temperature and pressure, matter can be classified into the following three types:

(a) Solid

(b) Liquid

(c) Gas

(a) Solid: A substance is said to be solid if it possesses a definite volume and a definite shape. E.g. sugar, iron, gold, wood etc.

(b) Liquid: A substance is said to be liquid if it possesses a definite volume but not definite shape.  They take up the shape of the vessel in which they are put. e.g. water, milk, oil, mercury, alcohol etc.

(c) Gas: A substance is said to be gas if it neither possesses a definite volume nor a definite shape.  This is because they fill up the whole vessel in which they are put. e.g. hydrogen(H ₂ ), Oxygen(O ₂ ), carbon dioxide (CO ₂ ) etc.

These three states of matter are interconvertible by changing temperature and pressure.

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(ii) Chemical Classification:

It may be classified into two types:

(A) Pure substance

(B) Mixture

(A) Pure Substance: A material containing only one type of substance.  Pure substance can not be separted into simpler substance by physical method.

e.g.: Element = Na, Mg, Ca …………etc.

Compound = HCl, H ₂ O, CO ₂ , HNO ₃ , ……etc.

Pure substance is classified into two types:

(a) Element: The pure substance containing only one kind of atoms.

It is classified into 3 types (depend on physical and chemical property)

(i) Metal → Zn, Cu, Hg, Ac, Sn, Pb etc.

(ii) Non-metal → N ₂ , O ₂ , Cl ₂ , Br ₂ , F ₂ , P ₄ , S ₈ , etc.

(iii) Metalloid → Si, Ge, etc.

(b) Compound: It is defined as pure substance containing more than one kind of elements or atoms which are combined together in a fixed proportion by weight and which can be decomposed into simpler substance by the suitable chemical method.  The properties of a compound are completely different from those of its constituent element.

e.g. HCl, H ₂ O, H ₂ SO ₄ , HClO ₄ , HNO ₃ , etc.

(B) Mixture: A material which contains more than one type of substances and which are mixed in any ratio by weight is called as mixture.  The property of the mixture is the property of its components.  The mixture can be separated by simple physical method.

(a) Homogeneous mixture: The mixture, in which all the components are present uniformly is called as homogeneous mixture. Components of mixture are present in single phase.

(b) Heterogeneous mixture: The mixture in which all the components are present non-uniformly e.g. Water + Sand, Water + Oil, Blood, Petrol etc.

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Solved Examples Of Classification Of Matter

Q.1. Which of the following example of a Homogeneous mixture?

(1) Water + Alcohol (2) Water + Sand

(3) Water + Oil (4) None of these

Sol. (1) Water and alcohol are completely mixed and form uniform solution.

Q.2. Classify the following as pure substances or mixtures. Also separate the pure substances into elements and compounds and divide mixture, into homogeneous and heterogeneous categories:

(i) Graphite (ii) Milk (iii) Air (iv) Oxygen

(v) 22 carate gold (vi) Iodized table salt (vii) Wood (viii) Cloud

Ans. Element: (i), (iv)

Homogeneous Mixture : (iii), (v)

Heterogeneous Mixture : (ii), (vi), (vii), (viii)

Q3. Which of the following statements is/are true?

(1) An element of a substance contains only one kind of atoms.

(2) A compound can be decomposed into its components.

(3) All homogeneous mixtures are called as solutions.

(4) All of these.

Ans. (4)

Q.4. A pure substance can only be :

(1) A compound (2) An element

(3) An element or a compound (4) A heterogenous mixture

Ans. (3)

Q.5. Which one of the following is not a mixture:

(1) Tap water (2) Distilled water

(3) Salt in water (4) Oil in water

Ans. (2)

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