Everyday Compound or Poison?

Everyday Compound or Poison?

by ReadWorks

periodic table

All elements found on the periodic table have certain distinct properties. Elements are single types of

atoms, while atoms are the fundamental building blocks of all matter. Gold, for instance, is a soft,

naturally occurring metal known for being beautiful and desired. Gold is malleable, and while it is found

naturally in the environment, it is often reworked and incorporated into fine jewelry. Oxygen is a

necessary and naturally occurring element. It's an invisible, odorless gas that's a crucial part of the air we

necessary, can become dangerous or lethal when its molecules (a grouping of two or more atoms) are

regrouped.

The components of table salt are a good example of how different substances can look when their atoms

are rearranged. Common table salt, also known as sodium chloride, is an interesting chemical compound

because, while it is commonly consumed by humans, when you separate its elements-sodium and

chlorine-you are left with something quite different from the edible seasoning known as salt.

The components of salt are sodium and chlorine, both of which are harmful for human consumption and

even contact. Sodium requires great care when being handled. If it comes into contact with water, the

reaction can be flammable, while powdered sodium has the potential to be combustible (explosive) in

oxygen or air.

Everyday Compound or Poison?

harmful to the respiratory system and may also react with certain flammable materials. When chlorine

reacts with the mucous of the lungs, it can create a potentially lethal compound known as hydrochloric

acid. During World War I, chlorine gas was used by Germany as a chemical weapon. It only takes a few

deep breaths of the gas, at a certain potency, to cause death.

Hydrochloric acid, a clear solution of hydrogen and chlorine in water, has other uses, however, including

household cleaning and food processing. It's also found naturally in the body's gastric acid. Hydrochloric

acid is found in food-grade purification levels in products such as aspartame, fructose and citric acid, as

well as in gelatin production.

Another, perhaps more familiar, example of atoms being regrouped to form a different compound is

carbon monoxide and carbon dioxide. These gases are mentioned often and frequently mistaken for one

contained area, it can become lethal to humans. People who directly inhale enough carbon monoxide will

lose consciousness and eventually die.

Carbon dioxide, on the other hand, occurs naturally in the atmosphere. One way carbon dioxide is

produced is through the breathing processes of humans and animals. Carbon dioxide is also emitted in

the burning of fossil fuels. Additionally, carbon dioxide can be found in lakes and at the bottom of the

ocean.

While carbon dioxide occurs naturally and is not known to be as harmful as carbon monoxide, it can still

be dangerous to humans when inhaled in certain quantities.

Slight chemical changes can radically modify the characteristics of a compound, and we don't have to

look to radically different elements to find enormous differences. Sometimes only a small difference in

ReadWorks Vocabulary - component

1. acting as a component; belonging to; composing.

componente: The Spanish word componente means component.

1. We all know that technological progress is not an actual magic show. Still, it almost seems like

magic the way the transistor, the main component in all modern electronics, has diminished in size

$500,000 would buy you about four computer work stations and a mainframe that could design

you a few small components for a vehicle.

4. "Protein, [such as] lean meat and low-fat dairy, really helps with muscle building and recovery, so

for athletes looking to gain muscle mass, that's a big component," Langford says. "You really don't

get the full benefit of your training if you're not having that recovery nutrition." a peanut butter and

jelly sandwich or chicken breast with veggies are both great options after a workout.

5. NPC is a cancer that grows in the nasopharynx, the uppermost region of the throat, where the

nasal cavities open into it. In the United States, NPC is relatively rare, occurring in just seven of

every 1 million Americans. NPC has a strong genetic component, explains Costantino, which is

why the cancer is more common in Southeast Asia and among immigrant families from that

1. When the atoms of a specific substance are regrouped, a new substance is formed with often

vastly different properties from the original substance. Occasionally something completely

harmless, or even necessary, can become dangerous or lethal when its molecules (a grouping of

two or more atoms) are regrouped.

2. They scattered in all directions when they saw the car approach, and they regrouped as soon as it

passed, talking excitedly, waving their arms. Men and women on bicycles waved as Xiufen and

her dad passed.

Advanced Definition

5. that which is solid, actual, or real in character.

6. wealth.

sustancia: The Spanish word sustancia means substance.

1. Do you know how to change the properties, structure and state of matter of a substance? If you have made ice before, the answer is yes.

2. When coal burns, it gives off a lot of darkcolored smoke. Soot is a black substance that is

collected on a surface that comes into contact with smoke.

3. Reducing global drug violence depends on reducing demand for illegal substances, Mineta says.

blockages can form in the arteries, the blood vessels that carry blood away from the heart.

made by corals-tiny animals that are related to jellyfish. The coral have tender bodies that are

vulnerable to attack, so they secrete a hard substance called calcium carbonate to protect their

exteriors. The calcium carbonate builds up until it makes formations that look like rocks to the

human eye.

6. At some point in the juice-making process, all the water has been removed from the fruit. What's

left behind is frozen. That new substance-the concentrate-takes up a lot less space and is easy

to move from one place to another. The concentrate still has all the vitamins and minerals from the

original fruit. So if you buy a carton of orange juice from concentrate, that means that water has

been added back to the concentrate to make your juice.

7. A sponge-like substance, coral can be a variety of different hues-sometimes they are green,