6.
12 Mixtures
Introducing mixtures
Prita spills water in the salt. Prema
Objective finds a stone in her rice. Priyam
■ Understand the differences crunches sand in her salad.
between elements, mixtures,
Salt and water, stones and rice, and
and compounds
sand and salad are all mixtures. The
substances in mixtures are not joined
to each other. They are just mixed up.
Often, it is easy to separate the substances in a mixture. Prema could pick
stones out of her rice. Priyam could wash sand off her salad. Prita could
evaporate water from her salt.
Different mixtures
Mixtures can contain elements, compounds, or both.
Salim has two sorts of nails – iron and copper. He keeps them in a jar. Iron
A mixture of elements.
and copper are both elements. So the jar contains a mixture of elements.
The label shows the ingredients in toothpaste. The ingredients are all
compounds. So toothpaste is a mixture of compounds.
A mixture of compounds.
Air – an important mixture
Air is a mixture of substances, including:
● elements – for example nitrogen (N2), oxygen (O2), and argon (Ar)
nia
cin
● compounds – for example carbon dioxide (CO2).
fruc
tos
How are elements, mixtures, and compounds different?
e
thiamin Ricardo collects 7 g of iron powder and 4 g of sulfur powder. Iron is an
se element. It is made up of one type of atom. It cannot be split into anything
glu o
c
ascorbic
water simpler. Ricardo holds a magnet near the iron powder. It jumps onto the
suc
ros
e magnet.
id
ac
acid
t r ic Sulfur is also an element. It is made up of one type of atom. Its atoms are
ci
different from iron atoms.
Orange juice is a mixture of
compounds.
Iron filings. Sulfur powder.
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Material properties
Ricardo mixes his iron and sulfur. He
can see the individual elements. He
can separate them with his magnet.
Ricardo has a mixture. Its properties
are similar to those of the elements
in it. The elements have not joined
together, so is easy to separate them.
The amounts of iron and sulfur in the
mixture are not important. Whatever
the amounts of iron and sulfur, it is A mixture of iron and sulfur.
still a mixture.
Ricardo heats his mixture. The two
elements join together. A compound,
iron sulfide, has formed. Ricardo
cannot get iron out of the compound
with his magnet. The compound
looks different from the elements
it is made from. Its properties are
different from its elements.
The amounts of elements in a
compound are important. Iron Iron sulfide.
sulfide always contains iron and
sulfur in the ratio of 7:4 by mass.
The table summarises the differences between mixtures and compounds.
Compound Mixture
Number of types of atoms More than one, joined More than one.
together.
Can it be separated into Not easily – chemical reaction Yes
simpler substances? needed.
Properties Different properties from its Same properties as
elements. substances in it.
Amounts Amounts of its elements are Amounts of substances can
always in the same ratio. change.
1 What is a mixture? ● The substances in a mixture
2 Describe three differences between a mixture and a compound. are not joined up, and can be
separated.
3 List five mixtures and five compounds.
● A mixture has similar properties
4 A mixture includes substances with these formulae: CO2, N2, SO3, O2. Is it a mixture of
to the substances in it.
elements, a mixture of compounds, or a mixture of elements and compounds?
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