70.0k views
1 vote
If salt is added to water, is the mixture homogeneous or heterogeneous? Give reasons for your answer.

1) Homogeneous
2) Heterogeneous

User Downwitch
by
8.3k points

1 Answer

4 votes

Final answer:

When salt is added to water and dissolves completely, the mixture becomes homogeneous, meaning that the composition is uniform throughout the mixture.

Step-by-step explanation:

If salt is added to water, the resulting mixture is known as a homogeneous mixture, or a solution. This is because, once the salt dissolves, the composition is uniform throughout, and it acts as if it were a single substance. Even if the concentration of salt varies from one sample to another, within a given sample, the dissolved salt is evenly distributed throughout the entire salt water sample. This is in contrast to a heterogeneous mixture, where the different components are not uniformly distributed.

For instance, if table salt (NaCl) is mixed into water (H₂O) and dissolves completely, the two substances intermingle at the molecular level, resulting in a clear solution that appears to be a single substance. Thus, saltwater is an example of a homogeneous mixture or a solution. By contrast, a combination of salt mixed with pepper would be a heterogeneous mixture because the particles of each substance would remain distinct.

User Zak Henry
by
8.0k points

No related questions found

Welcome to QAmmunity.org, where you can ask questions and receive answers from other members of our community.