Mixtures and their components

 What are mixtures?

Mixtures contain two or more substances or components. Mixtures have specific properties that are different from their individual components.

Filtration is used to separate small, solid particles that are suspended in water or air. 

Evaporation separates mixtures of solid and liquid solutions by boiling them until the liquid evaporates. 

Distillation separates mixtures of pure substances by boiling. The evaporated substance is collected and cooled back into a liquid.  

Magnetic separation is used for separating mixtures with solid components, where one of the components is magnetic.

What are heterogeneous mixtures and homogeneous mixtures?

Heterogeneous mixtures have visible components. We can see the components with the naked eye or under a microscope. Rocks with different minerals are heterogeneous mixtures. Homogeneous mixtures, or solutions, don’t have visible components.

 • Water solutions are mainly water, but contain other components. An example is salt water. 

• Gas mixtures, are made up of different gases. The air we breathe contains nitrogen, oxygen, argon, carbon dioxide and water vapour. 

• Alloys are mixtures of two or more metals that are melted and mixed together. An example is bronze, which is an alloy of copper and tin.