6 Differences between Compounds and Mixtures with examples

Based on the chemical composition of the substance, matter may be classified as elements, compounds or mixtures.

a) Elements: These are substances which cannot be reduced to simpler materials either by physical or chemical changes.

Example of elements: Copper, silver, gold etc.

b) Compound: A compound is a substance which contains two or more elements chemically combined together

Example of compounds: Water, salt, ammonia, methane, benzene.

c) Mixture: When two or more substances are combined by physical methods in any proportion and no new substances is formed then it is called a mixture. 

Mixture is of two types: Homogeneous and heterogeneous.  Homogeneous mixtures have the same composition throughout. Heterogeneous mixtures have different composition in different parts of the mixture.

Example of mixtures:  Combination of sulphur, iron fillings. The constituents of a mixture can be separated by ordinary physical methods.

Compounds vs Mixtures

Compounds:

1. It is a single substance. The composition always the same.

2. The constituent elements cannot be separated by physical methods, chemical reactions are necessary.

3. The properties of a compound are peculiar to itself and are usually quite different from those of its constituents elements.

4. Compounds are fixed in their compositions by mass of element present.

5. Chemical combination is usually accompanied by one or more of these effects.

6.  The compounds have usually sharp and fixed melting and boiling point.

Mixtures:

1. It contains two or more substances. The composition may vary.

2. The constituents can be separated from one another by physical methods.

3.  The properties of a mixture are the sum of the properties of the constituents of the mixture.

4.   Mixture may vary widely in composition.

5.   Mixing is not usually accompanied by external effects such as explosions, evolution of heat, or volume change (for gases).

6.  The melting and boiling point are usually not sharp and fixed.
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