Chapter 2 Introduction
Chemists separate substances into their simplest components in order to understand the nature of matter. Shown here is brightly colored, almost pure sulfur found near hot springs.
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CHAPTER 2
Basic Building Materials
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In this chapter, you will study
how chemists use chemical formulas to track changes in matter
how matter is conserved in chemical processes
the organization of the elements into the periodic table
Matter is composed of components called elements. There are a limited number of elements in existence. Everything in our world, natural and synthetic, is made of individual elements or some combination of them. Chemical formulas indicate what element or elements a substance is made of.