Introduction
A mixture is a combination of two or more substances that are not chemically united to each other. Mixtures can be classified into two types: homogeneous mixture and heterogeneous mixture. A homogeneous mixture is one whose composition is uniform throughout the mixture. It is the type of mixture where the composition is constant throughout or the components that make up the mixture are distributed uniformly.
What is a Homogeneous Mixture?
A homogeneous mixture is a gaseous, liquid or solid mixture that has the same proportions of its components throughout a given sample. It is uniform in composition throughout. There is only one phase of matter observed in a homogeneous mixture.
Examples of Homogeneous Mixture
- Air
- Sugar water
- Rainwater
- Vinegar
- Dishwashing detergent
- Steel
- Cup of Coffee
- Mouthwash
- Detergent
- Cologne
- Jello gelatin
Some Important Terms
Suspensions
Why do painters always mix the paint before using it? It is because the paint is a kind of suspension. The particles here are greater than 5 x 10-7 m in size, which means that you can see the particles with the naked eye. Fine sand mixed in water is another example of a suspension. Over the period of time, the particles tend to settle (or float) and have to be mixed again to restore the suspended state.
Solutions
Salt or sugar dissolved in water is an example of a solution. The particles are less than 2 x 10-9 m in size. They are so small that you cannot distinguish between the solute (the thing being dissolved) and the solvent (the thing that dissolves the solute).
Colloids
Colloids are the ones whose particle sizes range from 2 x 10-9 m to 5 x 10-7 m. Here the particles are small enough that they remain suspended. The intermolecular forces are strong enough to overcome the nature of particles to settle or float, owing to their small sizes. A few examples are given below which will help you better understand the nature of colloids.
Types of Colloids:
Depending on the dispersion medium (solid, liquid, gas), colloids themselves can be further classified. Here is a table to help you out.
| Phase of Dispersion | Medium of Dispersion | Colloid Type | Example |
| Solid | Solid | Solid Sol | Gemstones, Pearls |
| Liquid | Solid | Gel | Cheese, Jellies, Jam |
| Gas | Solid | Solid Sol | Pumice Stone |
| Solid | Liquid | Sols | Gum, Cell Fluids |
| Liquid | Liquid | Emulsion | Milk |
| Gas | Liquid | Foam | Froth, Whipped Cream |
| Solid | Gas | Aerosol | Smoke |
| Liquid | Gas | Aerosol | Fog, Clouds |
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