Even or Uneven Mix?

Why it matters

Stir sugar into water and, no matter which sip you take, it tastes equally sweet. Toss a salad, though, and one forkful is all tomato while the next is all cucumber. Some mixtures are even everywhere; others are not.

Predict first

You dissolve sugar in water and stir well. Every part of the liquid now looks and tastes the same. What kind of mixture is this?

A homogeneous mixture is the same throughout, like sugar solution, and you cannot see the separate parts. A heterogeneous mixture, like a salad, has parts you can clearly see and tell apart.

• Heterogeneous, because sugar and water are different things
• Homogeneous, because it is uniform throughout — correct
• Not a mixture at all
• A mixture with visibly separate parts

What you do

Sort each mixture: is it HOMOGENEOUS (uniform throughout) or HETEROGENEOUS (uneven, with visible parts)?

Check yourself

A homogeneous mixture is one that:

In a homogeneous mixture the substances are evenly spread, so every part looks the same and you cannot see the separate components.

Which of these is a heterogeneous mixture?

In sand and water you can clearly see the two different parts, and it is not uniform. That makes it a heterogeneous mixture.

A solution, such as salt dissolved in water, is an example of a:

A solution is uniform throughout, with the dissolved substance spread evenly, so every solution is a homogeneous mixture.

• Looks and is the same throughout — correct
• Has clearly visible, different parts
• Cannot be a mixture
• Always separates into layers
• A mixture of sand and water — correct
• Salt fully dissolved in water
• Air
• Sugar solution
• Homogeneous mixture — correct
• Heterogeneous mixture
• Pure element
• Compound