Compounds 01

This KS3 Science quiz takes a look at compounds. A chemical compound is a pure chemical substance consisting of two or more different chemical elements that can be separated into simpler substances by chemical reactions. Some compounds are made up from two non-metal elements that have joined together, for example water and carbon dioxide. This type of compound is made from molecules. Other compounds are made when a metal chemically combines with a non-metal. This type of compound is made from a giant structure, not molecules. Sodium chloride and calcium oxide are two examples.

Naming compounds is something that takes a bit of practice to learn - some people get how to do it faster than others. Working out the name of a compound follows certain rules but we don't have the room to tell you all of them here.

You will probably find it easier to name a compound made from one metal and one non-metal easier than naming compounds made from non-metals. The name of the metal comes first and the name of the non-metal is changed to end in -ide. When you see the name of a compound that ends in -ate, you can tell that there is oxygen in it. An example is that sodium sulfate is the metal sodium joined to sulfur and oxygen.