Final answer:
Substances are classified based on their composition as elements, compounds, homogeneous mixtures, or heterogeneous mixtures. Examples include mercury as an element, table sugar as a compound, white wine as a homogeneous mixture, and ranch-style salad dressing as a heterogeneous mixture.
Step-by-step explanation:
To classify substances as an element, compound, homogeneous mixture (solution), or heterogeneous mixture, we need to understand the definitions of these terms:
- Element: A pure substance consisting of only one type of atom.
- Compound: A pure substance formed when two or more different elements are chemically bonded together.
- Homogeneous mixture: Also known as a solution, this is a mixture in which the composition is uniform throughout.
- Heterogeneous mixture: A mixture in which the components are not uniform or have localized regions with different properties.
Now, let's classify each given substance:
- a. White wine is a homogeneous mixture because it has a uniform composition throughout.
- b. Mercury is an element; its common form is the element Hg.
- c. Ranch-style salad dressing is a heterogeneous mixture because it usually has various components that do not blend to form a uniform solution.
- d. Table sugar (sucrose) is a compound as it consists of carbon, hydrogen, and oxygen atoms in a specific chemical arrangement.
Additionally, for other substances mentioned such as salt (NaCl) is a compound, pure water (H2O) is a compound, soil would be a heterogeneous mixture, salt water is a homogeneous mixture, pure air is a homogeneous mixture, carbon dioxide (CO2) is a compound, gold (Au) is an element, and bronze is a heterogeneous mixture.