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Year 8

Properties of elements

I can describe the chemical and physical properties of different chemical elements.

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New
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Year 8

Properties of elements

I can describe the chemical and physical properties of different chemical elements.

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Share activities with pupils
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These resources will be removed by end of Summer Term 2025.

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Lesson details

Key learning points

  1. Elements are chemically pure, but can react together.
  2. Each element has a fixed melting point and boiling point.
  3. Each element has particular physical properties.
  4. Each element has particular chemical properties.
  5. The properties of elements are different from those of a single atom.

Keywords

  • Pure substance - A pure substance contains only one type of chemical.

  • Property - A property of a substance is a feature or characteristic that can be used to classify it, or describe how it behaves.

  • Physical property - A physical property of a substance describes how a substance appears and behaves, e.g. boiling point.

  • Chemical property - A chemical property describes chemical changes that happen to a substance in chemical reactions to form new substances.

Common misconception

Students often confuse the difference between chemical and physical properties.

A chemical property describes how an element will react with other substances. Physical properties describes the appearance and behaviour.


To help you plan your year 8 science lesson on: Properties of elements, download all teaching resources for free and adapt to suit your pupils' needs...

It is a good idea to emphasise when teaching physical properties that they relate to the element alone, while chemical properties involve the element reacting with other substances.
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This content is © Oak National Academy Limited (2025), licensed on Open Government Licence version 3.0 except where otherwise stated. See Oak's terms & conditions (Collection 2).

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Starter quiz

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6 Questions

Q1.
In chemistry, what does it mean if a substance is described as 'pure'?
It is clean and safe to use.
Correct answer: It contains only one chemical substance.
It is natural and not man-made.
It has been filtered.
Q2.
An element on the Periodic Table is made up of only one type of ...
Correct Answer: atom, atom.
Q3.
Which statements explain why elements are considered to be pure substances?
They are always safe to handle.
Correct answer: They are made of only one type of atom.
They are found in nature.
Correct answer: They cannot be physically separated into other substances.
Q4.
A is a characteristic of something that helps us describe or identify it.
Correct Answer: property
Q5.
An example of a is the flavour of a lemon. It can be said to have a sour taste.
Correct Answer: property
Q6.
Which properties would be essential for making a saucepan?
shiny
Correct answer: good conductor of heat
Correct answer: lightweight
brittle
Correct answer: high melting point

Exit quiz

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6 Questions

Q1.
Why do elements have fixed melting and boiling points?
They change colour at certain temperatures.
Correct answer: They are pure substances.
They react chemically at these temperatures.
They dissolve at these temperatures.
Q2.
Which of the following are physical properties of an element?
Correct answer: colour
reactivity with acid
Correct answer: acidity
boiling point
reactivity with water
Q3.
Which of the following is not a physical property of an element?
density
melting point
hardness
shininess
Correct answer: flammability
Q4.
A physical change is to reverse, e.g. melting or boiling. (Fill the blank with either difficult or easy)
Correct Answer: easy
Q5.
True or false? In chemical reactions, new substances are always formed.
Correct answer: True
False
Q6.
Every element has its own combination of properties.
Correct Answer: unique, distinct, particular, specific