Which are homogeneous mixtures? Select all that apply: vinegar, sugar water, and soda in a sealed bottle.

Biology · Middle School · Sun Jan 24 2021

Answered on

Homogeneous mixtures are mixtures that have a uniform composition throughout. This means that any sample taken from the mixture will have the same composition as any other sample taken from it. Based on this definition:

- Vinegar is a homogeneous mixture. It's primarily a solution of acetic acid in water, and it's uniform throughout. - Sugar water, assuming the sugar has fully dissolved in the water, is also a homogeneous mixture. The sugar particles are evenly distributed on a molecular level throughout the water. - Soda in a sealed bottle is a little tricky. It could be considered a homogeneous mixture because the components (the liquid, the dissolved flavors, sugar, and carbon dioxide) are evenly distributed throughout the drink. However, once you open the bottle and the carbon dioxide starts to escape, it may be less homogeneous due to the bubbles forming and escaping.

Hence, all three, vinegar, sugar water, and soda in a sealed bottle, can be selected as homogeneous mixtures, depending on the context.

Extra: Homogeneity in mixtures is important in various fields such as chemistry, materials science, and culinary arts. For a mixture to be considered homogeneous, the particles, molecules, or ions must be evenly distributed throughout the mixture. This is in contrast to heterogeneous mixtures, where the components are not uniformly distributed and can usually be seen as individual substances, like sand in water or a salad. Homogeneous mixtures can include solutions, where a solute is dissolved in a solvent, or alloys in metallurgy where metals are mixed at the atomic level. These mixtures are critical in everyday life—everything from the air we breathe, which is a mixture primarily of nitrogen and oxygen gases, to the metal in our smartphones, which is often an alloy of several elements.