Grade 10 · Theory
Mixtures and pure substances
Matter and classification · about 3 min
Matter splits into mixtures and pure substances.1 MIN READ
2 study sections · pause after each one and recall the key ideaAll matter is either a pure substance or a mixture, and the difference decides how you separate it.
Key points- A pure substance (element or compound) has fixed composition and fixed properties.
- A mixture contains substances physically combined in any ratio — no chemical bond forms.
- Homogeneous mixtures look uniform throughout (a solution); heterogeneous mixtures show separate parts.
- Physical separation methods: filtration, distillation, chromatography, magnetic separation.
- Element — a substance made of one kind of atom.
- Compound — atoms of different elements chemically bonded in a fixed ratio.
EXAM TIP
choose a separation method by the property that differs — boiling point (distillation), particle size (filtration), solubility (chromatography).