 A mixture is a combination of two or more substances that are not chemically combined.  Like…. pizza! The cheese and tomato sauce do not react when they are used to make a pizza. So, a pizza is a mixture.  Since there is no chemical change when a mixture is made you can separate mixtures through physical methods.

 Distillation: separates a mixture based on the boiling points of the components.  Magnet: separates mixtures of the elements iron and aluminum.  Centrifuge: Separates mixtures by the densities of the components.

 Solutions  Suspensions  Colloids

 A solution is a mixture that appears to be a single substance. They are composed of two or more substances that are easily distributed among each other.  Particles in solutions are so small that they never settle out. They cannot be removed by filtering. The particles are so small they do not scatter light.

StatesExamples Gas in gasdry air (oxygen in nitrogen) Gas in liquidSoft drinks (carbon dioxide in water) Liquid in liquidAntifreeze (alcohol in water) Solid in liquidSalt water (salt in water) Solid in solidBrass (zinc in copper)

 Dissolving is when the particles of substances separate and spread evenly throughout a mixture.  In solutions, the solute is the substance that is dissolved.  The solvent is the substance in which the solute is dissolved.

 Question: In salt water which is the solute and which is the solvent?  Answer: The salt is the solute and the water is the solvent.

 A measure of the amount of solute dissolved in a solvent. Temperature can affect this. How?  COLD VS. HOT

 The solubility of most solids increases as the temperature gets higher. So, more solute can dissolve at higher temperatures.

 A suspension is a mixture in which particles of a material are dispersed throughout a liquid or a gas but are large enough that they settle out.  The particles in a suspension are large enough to scatter or block light and are too large to stay mixed without being stirred or shaken.

 Answer: Density!  More dense particles sink, less dense particles rise.  Think of this with some common suspensions: snow globe soil and water sand and water blood

 A colloid is a mixture in which the particles are dispersed throughout but are not heavy enough to settle out.  They are a lot like solutions because they are small enough to be dispersed evenly, but large enough to scatter light.  Some examples of colloids are: Milk, mayonnaise, stick deodorant, gelatin, and whipped cream.