When we look at the things around us such as water, beverages, oil, food, etc we always wonder what they are constituted with. All the substances around us can be broadly divided into two main categories that are pure substances and mixtures.
The components in the mixtures are separated by various physical and chemical processes. Some of the methods of separation are- filtration, sedimentation, distillation, centrifugation, etc.
The melting point and the boiling point of the mixture is different depending on the particles present in it. Some of the examples of the mixture are – cold drinks, alcohol, sand, water, sugar, etc.
Mixtures can further be divided into the homogeneous and heterogeneous mixture. This is depicted as follows:
- Homogeneous Mixture: It is the type of mixture where the particles are present in the uniform composition and are not visible with the naked eye. Example- salt and water solution
- Heterogeneous Mixture: It is the type of mixture where the particles are not present in the uniform composition and are visible through the naked eye. Example- different nuts put together in a bowl.
Main Differences Between Pure Substance and Mixture
- A pure substance is a substance made up of one component whereas a mixture is a substance that is made up of the combination of two or more components.
- The chemical and the physical properties of the pure substance remain the same throughout but they change in a mixture.
- The components of the pure substance can’t be separated by the physical and the chemical processes because they are bound chemically whereas components of a mixture can be separated.
- The melting and boiling points of the pure substance do not change whereas they vary in a mixture.
- The pure substance can be differentiated as solids, liquids, and gases whereas a mixture can be categorized as a homogeneous or heterogeneous mixture.
Conclusion
In our everyday mundane routine, we come across several substances that can be categorized as pure substances or the mixture. The pure substances are those substances that consist of similar particles in a constant proportion. The mixtures are the substances that are made up of two or more components mixed in different proportions.
The components of the mixtures can be separated by the physical and the chemical processes whereas the components of the pure substance are chemically bound and cannot be separated. The physical and the chemical properties such and melting and the boiling points of the components of the pure substance remain the same whereas they vary differently in a mixture.
Some of the examples of pure substances are gold, platinum, copper, nitrogen gas, oxygen gas, pure water, etc. whereas that of the mixture is sugar syrup, alcohol, sand, oil, etc.
References
- https://pubs.acs.org/doi/abs/10.1021/acs.iecr.7b04871
- https://aip.scitation.org/doi/abs/10.1063/1.475699