Structure of Matter

Here are several different types of matter found in the natural world. I will hypothesize what it is composed of and how one could prove the components.

The Ocean
Major Components: water, salt, bacteria, algae, plants, fish, coral, sand
How to Test This: Take a sample. Put the water under a microscope to identify the unseen bacteria. Look at the visible components with the naked eyed. Categorize them. Evaporate the water to see if salt is let over.


Sea Water
Major Components: water, salt, bacteria
How to Test This: Put the water under a microscope to look for living things. Evaporate the water to see if salt is left over.

Salt
Major Components: sodium chloride, sodium silicoaluminate or magnesium carbonate
How to Test: Use electrolysis to divide it into sodium and free floating chlorine gas. This must be done at high temperatures when the salt is molten.
Source: http://www.ccmr.cornell.edu/education/ask/index.html?quid=588

Beach Sand
Major Components: quartz (silicon dioxide) , dust, shell bits, salt, volcanic glass powder (depends),
How to Test: Put the sand through a  fine filter. Look at what is left over. Let the sand settle into layers. Examine closely with a magnifying glass.

Silicon
Components: 14 protons, 14 neutrons, 14 electrons
How to Test: Smash one atom together with an atom of a much heavier element and measure how the momentum changes. This will be the mass. To find the number of electrons find the charge of the element by moving it towards an atom of a the same element with the same charge. If there is no charge then there are the same number of electrons as  protons.

Chlorine
Components: 17 protons, 17 neutrons, 17 electrons
How to Test: Do the same as above.