which substance is a homogenous mixture?

Question

a. clam chowder

b. water

c. gasoline

d. mercury

e. bromine

Answer 1

a. clam chowder - heterogeneous mixture

b. water - homogeneous and not a mixture

c. gasoline - homogeneous mixture of various organic compounds

d. mercury - heterogeneous and not a mixture

e. bromine - homogeneous and not a mixture

Answer 2

If we see homogenous as a molecule of elements in the same state (i.e,. solid, liquid, or gas), then there is more than one correct answer. However, clam chowder is a heterogenous mixture by essentially all definitions. Homogeneity is defined as the consistency of a fluid or substance. For example, milk is a homogenous substance because we (typically) drink milk and cannot taste texture in the milk unless it's expired. Gasoline is not a homogenous mixture because it emits a combination of fumes, gases, and is also a liquid. This leaves us with mercury, bromine, and water. Mercury is so thick that when it is combined with itself it's not a mixture and is about 13.6 times more dense than water. Despite mercury being labeled as a liquid, it acts more like a solid. Solids, in a gen chem class, typically aren't mixtures. Bromine is a gas and the last time I checked, we can't mix gases in a container. This leaves us with water. Water is something we drink and cannot be separated on the basis of using your tongue, etc. By this I mean you're not going to feel rocks in the water...the water is going to be smooth and consistent in your mouth. Lastly, water is homogenous because it is a molecule and not an element and the states of the atoms that make up water, both hydrogen and oxygen, are gases. This makes water even more homogenous. I hope this helps.