Musical instruments like trumpets and trombones are made from an alloy called brass. Brass is composed of copper and zinc atoms and appears homogeneous under an optical microscope. The approximate composition of most brass objects is a 2: 1 ratio of copper to zinc atoms, but the exact ratio varies somewhat from one piece of brass to another. (a) Would you classify brass as an element, a compound, a homogeneous mixture, or a heterogeneous mixture? (b) Would it be correct to say that brass is a solution? [Section 1.2\(]\)

To classify brass, let's go through the definitions of an element, compound, homogenous mixture, and heterogeneous mixture: 1. Element: A pure substance made up of only one type of atom. 2. Compound: A pure substance composed of two or more different atoms chemically bonded in a fixed ratio. 3. Homogeneous Mixture: A mixture with uniform composition throughout, where individual components are indistinguishable. 4. Heterogeneous Mixture: A mixture with a non-uniform composition, where individual components can often be seen. Now, let's analyze brass: - Brass is not an element, as it is composed of copper and zinc atoms. - Brass is not a compound because the copper and zinc atoms are not chemically bonded, and their ratio is not fixed. - Brass appears homogeneous under an optical microscope, indicating that its composition is uniform throughout, and individual components are indistinguishable. Thus, we can classify brass as a homogeneous mixture.

According to the definition, a solution is a homogeneous mixture where one substance is dissolved into another. In the case of brass, copper and zinc atoms are mixed uniformly such that brass appears homogeneous under an optical microscope. Since brass is a homogenous mixture with one substance uniformly dispersed into another, it is correct to classify brass as a solution.