Mixture A mixture is made when two or more substances are combined, but they are not combined chemically. General properties of a mixture: The components of a mixture can be easily separated The components each keep their original properties The proportion of the components is variable Types of Mixtures There are two main categories of mixtures: homogeneous mixtures and heterogeneous mixtures. In a homogenous mixture all the substances are evenly distributed throughout the mixture (salt water, air, blood). In a heterogeneous mixture the substances are not evenly distributed (chocolate chip cookies, pizza, rocks) Within the categories of homogeneous and heterogeneous mixtures there are more specific types of mixtures including solutions, alloys, suspensions, and colloids. Solutions (homogeneous) A solution is a mixture where one of the substances dissolves in the other. The substance that dissolves is called the solute. The substance that does not dissolve is called the solvent. An example of a solution is salt water. These components can be easily separated through evaporation and they each retain their original properties. However, the salt is dissolved into the water to where you can't see it and it is evenly distributed in the water. In this example the water is the solvent and the salt is the solute.
Read more at: http://www.ducksters.com/science/chemistry/chemical_mixtures.php
This text is Copyright © Ducksters. Do not use without permission.