Homogeneous Mixture Chemistry Example 2

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Example 2

medium
Is air a homogeneous mixture or a pure substance? Justify your answer and list its major components with approximate percentages.

Solution

  1. 1
    Air is a homogeneous mixture — it has a uniform composition at any point in a given sample, but it consists of multiple gases.
  2. 2
    Major components: N2\text{N}_2 (78%), O2\text{O}_2 (21%), Ar\text{Ar} (0.93%), CO2\text{CO}_2 (0.04%), plus trace gases.
  3. 3
    It is not a pure substance because it can be separated into its components (e.g., by fractional distillation of liquid air) and its composition can vary slightly by location.

Answer

Homogeneous mixture: 78% N2, 21% O2, 0.93% Ar, traces\text{Homogeneous mixture: 78\% N}_2\text{, 21\% O}_2\text{, 0.93\% Ar, traces}
Air appears uniform because the gas molecules are thoroughly mixed at the molecular level. Industrial separation of air by fractional distillation is used to obtain pure nitrogen, oxygen, and argon.

About Homogeneous Mixture

A mixture with a completely uniform composition throughout, where the components are evenly distributed at the molecular level and cannot be distinguished even under a.

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