Final answer:
Substances are classified based on their chemical composition into elements (e.g., gold), compounds (e.g., salt, pure water, carbon dioxide), homogeneous mixtures (e.g., salt water, pure air), and heterogeneous mixtures (e.g., soil, bronze).
Step-by-step explanation:
Classification of Substances
Substances can be classified into four main categories based on their chemical composition: elements, compounds, homogeneous mixtures, and heterogeneous mixtures. The classification for each of the given substances is as follows:
- Salt (sodium chloride): Compound
- Pure water (H2O): Compound
- Soil: Heterogeneous mixture
- Salt water: Homogeneous mixture (solution)
- Pure air: Homogeneous mixture (solution)
- Carbon dioxide (CO2): Compound
- Gold (Au): Element
- Bronze: Heterogeneous mixture
An element is a pure substance that cannot be broken down into simpler substances. A compound is a pure substance that consists of two or more elements chemically combined in a fixed ratio. A homogeneous mixture, or solution, has uniform composition throughout, whereas a heterogeneous mixture has a composition that varies from point to point.