What term describes a substance that is made up of only one kind of matter and has definite properties?

• A. Pure substance
• B. Element
• C. Compound
• D. Periodic table

Answer: (A)

A substance made of only one kind of matter with definite properties fits into the idea of a pure substance. Pure substances have fixed composition and properties that don’t vary from sample to sample, which is what “definite properties” and “one kind of matter” convey. This category includes elements, like iron or oxygen, and compounds, like water, which are built from two or more elements but still form a single, uniform substance. The term that captures this whole idea is pure substance. An element is a type of pure substance, but the statement isn’t limited to just elements since compounds are also pure substances. The periodic table itself isn’t a substance; it’s a chart listing elements. So the best term describing a substance made of only one kind of matter with definite properties is pure substance.