Matter can be classified in many ways, such as by color, or texture, or even its physical state at room temperature. The following classification of matter scheme is based first on its overall appearance, and then on whether the particular kind of matter can be separated by physical or chemical means.

• Physical separation methods include filtering, evaporating, distilling, decanting, crystallizing.

• Chemical separation methods include heating to decompose a substance and replacement of one element out of a substance by another, more active substance.