Question

If you had a beaker full of black powder which of the following could you have?

a. mixture
b. element
c. compound
d. Any of these is possible.

Answer 1

a. mixture

Step-by-step explanation:

A black powder probably represents a mixture of several dark colored elements, or several elements that reacted and formed a black colored mixture.

Mixture is the union of two or more different substances (regardless of whether they are simple or compound). It has different and variable (non-fixed) physical characteristics (melting point, boiling point, density, toughness, etc.) compared to its constituent substances.

Answer 2

A beaker of black powder can be a mixture with different substances (i.e gunpowder: a mixture of sulfur, charcoal, etc.), an element which can probably be carbon (known as black), and a compound as well which can be potassium nitrate. Hence, the answer is D.