Question

in the lab, gregory is using a substance that has the same composition throughout. he separates the substance into a liquid and solid using a physical process. based on this description, gregorys substance is a(n)______
choose one option
a element
b compound
c heterogeneous mixture
d salution

Explanation:

• Element: Elements cannot be separated into other substances by physical means. For example, gold (Au) is an element and remains gold no matter what physical process is applied.
• Compound: Compounds are pure substances formed from two or more elements chemically combined. They can only be separated into their constituent elements by chemical means, not physical processes. For instance, water (\(H_2O\)) requires electrolysis (a chemical process) to break into hydrogen and oxygen.
• Heterogeneous mixture: A heterogeneous mixture has a non - uniform composition. But the key point is that the problem states the substance has the same composition throughout, so this option is incorrect.
• Solution (homogeneous mixture): A solution has a uniform composition (same composition throughout). It can be separated into its components (a liquid and a solid in this case, like salt - water where salt is the solid component and water is the liquid component) by physical processes such as evaporation (for salt - water, evaporating the water leaves the salt).

Answer:

D. solution