Components in science

The idea

In everyday usage a mixture's components may themselves be mixtures, but in science all the components of a mixture must be pure substances.

Everyday and science

In daily life, we may call poha a mixture of its ingredients, which are mixtures too. In science there is a stricter rule.

What must the components of a mixture be in science?

• Pure substances
• Other mixtures
• Anything at all

Sort the parts

Tap the bin where each one belongs.

The science rule

In common use, the components of a mixture can themselves be mixtures, as in poha and sprout salad. Or they can be pure substances like sugar or common salt dissolved in water. In science, all the components of a mixture must be pure substances.

In science, all the components of a mixture must be pure substances.

Notes

In science, every component of a mixture is a pure substance.

Check yourself

In science, the components of a mixture must be …

Sugar dissolved in water is a mixture of …

Poha is made of several ingredients. In science it is …

Common salt dissolved in water: common salt is a …

• other mixtures. A component must be a pure substance.
• pure substances — correct. Yes!
• anything we like. Science needs pure substances as components.
• two mixtures. Sugar and water are each pure substances.
• one pure substance. It has two components, sugar and water.
• two pure substances — correct. Yes!
• itself a mixture, not a pure substance — correct. Yes!
• a pure substance. It has several ingredients, so it is not pure.
• an element. Poha is a mixture, not an element.
• mixture. Common salt is a pure substance.
• pure substance — correct. Yes!
• non-uniform mixture. Common salt on its own is a pure substance.