Question

A student pours a spoonful of dirt into a cup of water. The water and dirt are stirred together. The water turns a light brown color. Some dark pieces float to the top of the cup and another dark layer forms on the bottom of the cup. Which statement BEST describes the contents of the cup?

a
The cup contains an element because the dirt and the water have similar characteristics once combined.
b
The cup contains a compound because the dirt and the water are made up of multiple types of atoms.
c
The cup contains a heterogeneous mixture because the particles in the dirt are not uniformly dispersed throughout the water.
d
The cup contains a homogeneous mixture because the particles in the dirt are not uniformly dispersed throughout the water.

Answer 1

c

The cup is a heterogeneous mixture. The dirt particles are not uniformly dispersed (you can see dark pieces floating and settling), so it's a suspension rather than a single uniform (homogeneous) mixture or a pure element/compound.