A mixture in which the composition is not uniform throughout, with visibly or microscopically distinct regions that have different compositions and properties.
Different parts look or behave differently. One spoonful is not the same as another.
Showing a random 20 of 50 problems.
Example 1
easy
Is a glass of water with ice cubes a heterogeneous mixture?
Example 2
easy
Is a chocolate chip cookie a heterogeneous mixture?
Example 3
easy
Is a glass of completely-dissolved sugar water heterogeneous?
Example 4
easy
Is a salad with dressing pooling at the bottom a heterogeneous mixture?
Example 5
easy
Is a tossed garden salad a heterogeneous mixture?
Example 6
medium
You see a beaker labeled "iron filings and table salt." How can you separate the two components, and what type of mixture is this?
Example 7
hard
Identify the heterogeneous mixture: (a) brass alloy (Cu-Zn), (b) bronze statue with green patina on the surface, (c) pure copper wire.
Example 8
medium
A bottle of orange juice 'with pulp' has visible bits floating. Classify it and name the separation that removes pulp.
Example 9
medium
Two beakers: one has dissolved table salt in water, the other has table salt with sand stirred in water. Which is heterogeneous and why?
Example 10
challenge
A student claims that all colloids are heterogeneous mixtures, but they sometimes pass through filter paper. Reconcile these two facts.
Example 11
easy
Is a handful of gravel and sand a heterogeneous mixture?
Example 12
medium
A bottled vinaigrette settles into two layers after sitting. Classify and name a simple way to mix it temporarily.
Example 13
hard
Blood is often described as a heterogeneous mixture. Identify at least three distinct components of blood and explain why centrifugation can separate them.
Example 14
challenge
Classify each: (a) Italian dressing that has separated, (b) clear apple juice, (c) granite. Justify each in one phrase.
Example 15
hard
Pond water sometimes contains dissolved salts and suspended algae. Is the overall sample heterogeneous, and which separation methods would isolate each component?
Example 16
challenge
Explain how a single sample of muddy salt water contains BOTH a heterogeneous and a homogeneous aspect.
Example 17
medium
A milkshake has chunks of fruit. Compared to plain milk, which is more clearly heterogeneous, and why?
Example 18
medium
Blood looks like a uniform red liquid, but a microscope shows distinct cells in plasma. Classify it and justify.
Example 19
hard
A foam consists of gas bubbles in a liquid. Is foam classified as homogeneous or heterogeneous?