Question

Explain why wax is regarded as a mixture and not as a pure substance.

Answer 1

Wax is regarded as a mixture and not as a pure substance.

• This is because wax contains a mixture of various hydrocarbons with different number of Carbon $\left(\mathrm{C}\right)$, lipids etc.
• Further, it is a heterogeneous mixture as the constituent particles of hydrocarbons and lipids are not uniformly present throughout.
• It does not have a definite composition.
• The chemical composition of wax is also not fixed as is the case with pure substances.

Mixture: When two or more substances (elements or compounds or an element and compound) are mixed in any proportion.

• The components of a mixture can be separated by physical methods of separation.
• Example: A mixture of Sand and Iron $\left(\mathrm{Fe}\right)$ can be separated by using a magnet (physical process) where Iron gets attracted to the magnet leaving behind sand.

For a substance to be regarded as a pure substance, it needs to be comprised of only one kind of particle. These particles can comprise only one element (in other words, one type of atoms like in Hydrogen gas $\left({\mathrm{H}}_2\right)$ or more than one element (in other words, more than one type of atoms like in Water $\left({\mathrm{H}}_2\mathrm{O}\right)$.