Pure Substances

Matter can be categorized into one of two groups: pure substances and mixtures. Pure substances are made of either one kind of atom or one kind of molecule or compound. A pure substance that is composed of one kind of atom is called an element. Pure carbon, pure gold, and pure oxygen are all elements.

Heterogeneous Mixtures
Most of the materials we interact with every day are not pure substances. Remember that a material composed of more than one pure substance is called a mixture. Mixtures are divided into two categories: heterogeneous and homogeneous.

Homogeneous Mixtures
The other type of mixture is homogenous mixture. The prefix homogene– means “of the same” in Latin. In a homogeneous mixture, the ratio of each compound to the others is the same everywhere in the mixture. In other words, the mixture is uniform. For example, if you were to mix table sugar in warm water and stir it well, you might find when you tested the mixture that the ratio of sugar to water in the top of the glass is the same ratio as in the bottom of the glass. A glass of sugar water would, therefore, be a homogeneous mixture. Other examples include toothpaste, pennies, and most types of gold jewelry.

explain ALL OF THIS in your own words, make it sound UNDERSTANBLE AND SOUND LIKE A 7TH GRADER WROTE IT

thank you !!

1 answer

Sure! Let’s break it down in a simple way.

Pure Substances
Matter, which is everything around us, can be grouped into two main categories: pure substances and mixtures. A pure substance is something that is made up of just one kind of atom or one kind of molecule or compound. For example, if you have pure carbon, pure gold, or pure oxygen, those are all examples of pure substances. Each of them is made of only one type of particle.

Heterogeneous Mixtures
Most things we see and use every day aren’t pure substances; they are mixtures. A mixture is when you have more than one pure substance mixed together. There are two types of mixtures: heterogeneous and homogeneous.

Homogeneous Mixtures
Now, let’s talk about homogeneous mixtures. The word "homogeneous" means that everything is the same throughout. In a homogeneous mixture, the amount of each substance is evenly mixed everywhere in that mixture. Imagine you mix sugar into warm water. If you stir it really well, the amount of sugar you find at the top of the glass will be the same as at the bottom. So, a glass of sugar water is a homogeneous mixture. Other examples include toothpaste, pennies, and most kinds of gold jewelry.

So, in summary, pure substances are made up of just one type of atom or molecule, while mixtures have a combination of different pure substances, and they can be either heterogeneous (uneven) or homogeneous (evenly mixed).