Mixture

For other uses of this term, see Mixture (disambiguation).

In chemistry, a mixture is the product of a mechanical blending or mixing of chemical substances like elements and compounds, without chemical bonding or other chemical change, so that each ingredient substance retains its own chemical properties and makeup. While there are no chemical changes in a mixture, physical properties of a mixture, such as its melting point, may differ from those of its components. Mixtures can usually be separated by mechanical means.

Contents

1 Types of mixtures

1.1 Homogeneous mixtures

1.1.1 Solutions

1.2 Heterogeneous mixtures
1.3 Colloidal dispersions

2 See also

Types of mixtures

There are three different types of mixtures, homogeneous mixtures (also called solutions), heterogeneous mixtures, and colloidal dispersions.

Homogeneous mixtures

Homogeneous mixtures are mixtures that have a definite and properties, for example, any amount of a given mixture has the same composition and properties. Examples are solutions and some alloys (but not all).

Solutions

One type of a homogeneous mixture is a solution. A solution is a homogeneous mixture of one or more substances (the solutes) dissolved in another substance (the solvent). A common example would be a solid dissolving into a liquid, for example salt or sugar dissolving in water (or even gold into mercury, forming an amalgam); but also gases may dissolve into liquids, like carbon dioxide or oxygen in water; in addition, a gas may dissolve into another, and sometimes liquids dissolve into gases, for example water vapor in the atmosphere.

Heterogeneous mixtures

Heterogeneous mixtures are mixtures without definite composition, for example, granite. Pizza is a typical humorous example of this kind of mixture. Heterogeneous mixtures are said to have several phases (not to be confused with phases of matter). An example is the parts of a homogeneous composition, which can be mechanically separated from the rest.

Colloidal dispersions