When mixtures and compounds come together, their differences really show up.

What Are They?

• Mixtures are made when two or more substances are mixed together. You can easily separate them, like sand and salt.

• Compounds are different. They form when two or more elements chemically bond. For example, water (H₂O) is a compound made from hydrogen and oxygen.

Key Differences:

• Separation:

  • You can separate mixtures easily, using simple methods like filtering or letting something evaporate.
  • Compounds need chemical reactions to break apart.

• Properties:

  • In a mixture, the individual substances keep their own properties. For example, in a mix of sand and salt, you can still tell which is which.
  • But in compounds, the properties change. For example, sodium (Na) is a very reactive metal and chlorine (Cl) is a poisonous gas. When they join together to form sodium chloride (NaCl), we get table salt, which is safe to eat!

Interaction Effects:

When mixtures and compounds interact, the results depend on what they are. For instance, if you mix vinegar (which is a mixture) with baking soda (a compound), they react and make bubbles of carbon dioxide. This shows how compounds can behave differently when they mix with other substances!