A substance that can be broken down into two or more simpler substances by chemical methods is called a(n)

Question

BlackTom AI · Accepted Answer

A compound is a substance formed when two or more different elements chemically combine in fixed proportions, so it can be chemically decomposed into those simpler substances (elements or simpler compounds).

1) Relevant knowledge points and concepts
- Compound: chemically bonded combination of elements (e.g., H2O, NaCl). Chemical bonds hold atoms together; breaking those bonds requires chemical reactions.
- Element: pure substance made of one type of atom; cannot be broken down into simpler substances by chemical means (only by nuclear reactions).
- Mixture: physical combination of two or more substances that retain their identities; components can be separated by physical methods (filtration, distillation, magnetic separation).
- Isotope: variant of an element differing in neutron number; still an atom of a single element and not decomposable into simpler chemical substances.

2) Step-by-step reasoning
- The prompt asks which kind of substance can be broken down into two or more simpler substances specifically by chemical methods.
- If a substance is a compound, chemical reactions can break its bonds to yield simpler substances (its constituent elements or simpler compounds). Example: electrolysis of water (a chemical process) separates H2O into H2 and O2.
- If a substance is an element, no chemical method can produce simpler chemical substances from it because it already consists of only one type of atom.
- If a substance is a mixture, its components are separated by physical—not chemical—methods in typical cases.
- If it is an isotope, it is still a form of an element and cannot be chemically decomposed into simpler substances.

3) Intermediate examples (illustrating the point)
- Water (compound): H2O → (electrolysis) → H2 + O2 (chemical decomposition).
- Air (mixture): separated into O2 and N2 by fractional distillation (physical method), not chemical decomposition.
- Carbon (element), Carbon-14 (isotope): cannot be chemically broken into simpler substances.

4) Why the correct answer is correct
- A compound’s defining property is that it is composed of two or more elements chemically bonded and can be broken down into those elements by chemical reactions.

5) Why other options are incorrect
- Mixture: separable by physical, not necessarily chemical, methods.
- Element: cannot be decomposed by chemical methods into simpler substances.
- Isotope: a variant of an element, not a substance made of simpler substances.

6) Conclusion
The correct answer is "compound," which matches the provided answer.

A substance that can be broken down into two or more simpler substances by chemical methods is called a(n) 单项选择题

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