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๐ฌ Think about it
What makes your poha so tasty? It's the mixing — onion, peas, peanuts, lemon, all together. A sprout salad is the same idea. When you just mix things and nothing new is made, you've made a mixture. Let's see how scientists define it.
What is a mixture?
- A mixture forms when two or more substances are mixed.
- Each substance keeps its own properties.
- The substances do not react chemically with each other.
- The substances that make a mixture are its components.
Example:
Sugar dissolved in water, soup, and lemonade are all mixtures.
Are all mixtures the same, or are some easier to see through?
- Non-uniform mixtures: components are easy to see separately.
- You can spot them with eyes or a magnifying glass.
- Uniform mixtures: components are evenly spread out.
- You cannot see the separate parts, even under a microscope.
Non-uniform mixture
Uniform mixture
Components are visible separately.
Components cannot be seen separately.
Seen with eyes or magnifying device.
Evenly distributed throughout.
Example: sprout salad (green gram, onion, tomato).
Example: sugar dissolved in water.
Important Points
- In a mixture, components do not react chemically.
- Non-uniform = parts visible; uniform = parts evenly mixed and hidden.
- In science, all components of a mixture must be pure substances.
๐ Our scientific heritage
- Mishraloha was the old name for a mixture of two or more metals.
- It had properties different from its constituent metals.
- Texts like Charaka Samhita mention alloys for medicinal use.
- Bronze (Kamsya) = Copper (Tamra, 4 parts) + Tin (Vanga, 1 part).
โ Test Yourself
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What is a mixture?
View Answer
When two or more substances are mixed and each keeps its own properties, it's a mixture. The parts don't react chemically. -
What are the substances in a mixture called?
View Answer
They are called its components. -
Sprout salad — uniform or non-uniform?
View Answer
Non-uniform, because you can clearly see the green gram, onion, and tomato as separate bits. -
Why can't you see sugar in sugar-water?
View Answer
It is a uniform mixture. The sugar and water particles are evenly spread and cannot be told apart, even under a microscope. -
Do components of a mixture react with each other?
View Answer
No. They simply stay mixed and keep their own properties.
Important Definitions
- Mixture — two or more substances mixed together, each keeping its own properties.
- Components — the individual substances that make up a mixture.
- Non-uniform mixture — a mixture whose components are visible separately.
- Uniform mixture — a mixture whose components are evenly spread and cannot be seen separately.
๐ NCERT Question 2 — Assertion: Air is a
Assertion: Air is a mixture. Reason: a mixture forms without any chemical change. Which option is correct?
View Answer →
