Tag: Pure substances

Chemically pure glucose in its solid, crystalline form is actually colorless, despite appearing as a white powder when massed together. This optical illusion is a fundamental concept in material science and explains the visual properties of many crystalline solids, including everyday table sugar.

Understanding the fundamental building blocks of matter is crucial in chemistry. Approximately 118 elements are known, but these combine in countless ways to form everything around us [1.1, 1.4]. This guide explains how to tell if something is a compound, distinguishing it from elements and mixtures.