Final answer:
Mixtures are physical combinations where substances retain their properties and can be separated, while compounds are chemical combinations with new properties. Mixtures can be homogeneous with a uniform composition or heterogeneous without uniformity.
Step-by-step explanation:
Differences Between Mixtures and Compounds
Mixtures differ from compounds in that they are physical combinations of two or more substances, whereas compounds are chemical combinations of two or more elements that result in a substance with new properties. In mixtures, the individual substances retain their own identity and properties, and they can be separated by physical means. For instance, if you mix sodium, a soft shiny metal, with chlorine, a pungent green gas, they combine chemically to form the compound sodium chloride (table salt), which is a white, crystalline solid with properties distinct from both sodium and chlorine. However, a mixture like salt mixed with pepper retains the properties of both components and can be separated back into pure salt and pure pepper.
Mixtures can be further classified as homogeneous or heterogeneous. Homogeneous mixtures have a uniform composition throughout, such as sugar dissolved in water. On the other hand, heterogeneous mixtures do not have a uniform composition, such as a container of mixed nuts, where different samples may have different compositions.
While there are only just over 100 elements, there are tens of millions of compounds with their own unique properties and, correspondingly, there are innumerable ways to combine elements and compounds into different mixtures. The ability to distinguish between these forms of matter is essential in chemistry.