Difference between a homogenous mixture and a heterogeneous mixture

[courtrigrad]

Hello all

I was just wondering what is the difference between a homogenous mixture and a heterogeneous mixture. For example:

a. sea water
b. tomato juice
c. gasoline
d. milk


What type of mixtures are these?

Also, what do we classify fire as (solid, liquid, gas)?

Any help would be greatly appreciated

Thanks

 

[Gokul43201]

I would call them all homogeneous, with the possible exception of tomato juice. A homogeneous mixture is one which is uniform at "macroscopic" levels of observation. Yes, this depends on your definition of 'macroscopic' - a term that's not really well defined. But here's an accepted rule : if you can detect differences of the length scale that can be discerned by the naked eye (at the least distance of distinct vision, typically ~ 10cm or 4 inches), then it's heterogeneous.

Fire is a mixture of gases and solids (mostly colloidal sized particles of unburnt carbon).

 

[ravenprp]

A homogenous mixture is a uniform mixture where the components are evenly distributed throughout. This means that every part of the mixture has the same composition and properties. Examples of homogenous mixtures are sea water and gasoline.

On the other hand, a heterogeneous mixture is a non-uniform mixture where the components are not evenly distributed. This means that different parts of the mixture may have different compositions and properties. Examples of heterogeneous mixtures are tomato juice and milk.

Regarding the classification of fire, it is considered a chemical reaction rather than a state of matter. Fire involves the rapid release of energy through oxidation, so it does not fit into the categories of solid, liquid, or gas. However, it is often associated with the gaseous state due to the presence of flames and smoke.