TYPES OF MIXTURES What is a mixture? A mixture is made when two substances are combined physically. The components or parts of a mixture can be easily identified and separated. There are many different types of mixtures which include the following: 1. Solid-solid mixtures e.g. alloys which are a mixture of two metals 2. Solid-liquid mixtures e.g. a mixture of salt and water 3. Liquid-liquid mixtures e.g. a mixture of alcohol and water 4. Liquid-gas mixtures e.g. carbonated drinks 5. Gas=gas mixtures e.g. the air we breathe in which is a mixture of gases such as oxygen, hydrogen and carbon dioxide. Can you name some other examples of these 5 types of mixtures? SOLUTIONS A solution is a mixture where one substance is dissolved in another. When you look at a solution it is impossible to identify the different parts because solutions are homogeneous or uniform. Homogeneous means “same way throughout”. When water is used to form a solution the combination is known as an aqueous solution. The word aqueous comes from the Latin word aqua which means water. When salt and water are mixed, the salt dissolves in the water. In this solution salt is known as the solute. A solute is a substance that dissolves in a solvent. The water is known as the solvent. A solvent is the substance that a solute dissolves in. HETEROGENEOUS MIXTURES Heterogeneous mixtures are mixtures which are not uniform throughout the mixture. Heterogeneous mixtures are made up of two or more phases. Vegetable soup is a heterogeneous mixture. Any given spoonful of soup will contain varying amounts of the different vegetables and other components of the soup. Types of heterogeneous mixtures There are two main types of heterogeneous mixtures 1.Suspensions 2.Colloids SUSPENSIONS A suspension is a mixture of a solid and liquid where the solid particles do not dissolve in the liquid. The solid particles are said to be “suspended” in the liquid after mixing. The solid particles in a suspension always settle at the bottom of the liquid after a period of time. Examples of suspensions are mixtures of sand and water or flour mixed with water. Also most medications that say shake before using are suspensions. COLLOIDS A colloid is a mixture where small particles of one substance are evenly distributed throughout another substance. They seem similar to a solution but the particles are suspended not dissolved. They are different to suspensions because the particles do not settle at the bottom of the mixture over time. An example of a colloid is milk. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e-2EoyDYamg
