Difference between a compound and a mixture

1 answer

The main difference between a compound and a mixture is the degree to which the components are chemically bonded.

A compound is a substance composed of two or more elements that are chemically bonded together in a fixed ratio. The components of a compound cannot be separated by physical means and the properties of a compound are different from the properties of its individual elements. For example, water is a compound made up of hydrogen and oxygen in a fixed ratio of H2O.

On the other hand, a mixture is a combination of two or more substances that are physically mixed together but not chemically bonded. The components of a mixture can be separated by physical means such as filtration, distillation, or chromatography. The properties of a mixture are a combination of the properties of its individual components. For example, a mixture of sand and salt can be separated by dissolving the salt in water and then filtering out the sand.