Identify which of the following substances are examples of true solutions. (a) jasmine tea (b) chromium metal (c) muddy water (d) gasoline

A homogeneous mixture is a combination of two or more substances that are so evenly distributed within the mixture that it is impossible to distinguish one component from another with the naked eye. In a homogeneous mixture, the composition is uniform throughout, and the individual parts of the mixture are not easily separated.

Examples of homogeneous mixtures include air, which is a blend of gases, and stainless steel, which is an alloy of iron, carbon, and other elements. In the context of the exercise, gasoline is a classic example of a homogeneous mixture because it consists of different hydrocarbons that are evenly mixed and present a consistent composition. The homogeneity of a mixture is particularly critical for achieving uniform properties and behavior, making homogeneous mixtures essential in areas such as pharmaceuticals, food production, and materials science.

It is important for students to clearly differentiate homogeneous mixtures from heterogeneous mixtures, as this distinction plays a pivotal role in the field of chemistry and material science.

Understanding the role of the solute and solvent is crucial when exploring true solutions. The solute is the substance that is being dissolved, while the solvent is the component that does the dissolving. In a true solution, the solute and solvent combine at a molecular or ionic level, resulting in a single-phase system where the solute is not visible and does not settle out of the mixture.

Water, often called the 'universal solvent', is a common solvent in many true solutions. In the exercise, jasmine tea acts as a true solution, with the flavor compounds from the tea leaves serving as the solute, and water as the solvent. These compounds are completely dissolved in the water, making it a homogenous mixture. This concept is essential in understanding various processes like salt dissolving in water, carbon dioxide in soft drinks, or metals being mixed to create alloys.

The understanding of solute and solvent is not only vital to solving textbook exercises but also forms the basis of many industrial applications, from medicinal drug formulation to the production of alloys in metallurgy.

A suspension is a type of heterogeneous mixture where solid particles are dispersed within a liquid but are not fully dissolved. Unlike true solutions, suspensions have particles that are visibly larger, can be separated out by filtration, and will eventually settle out when left undisturbed due to the effects of gravity.

In the exercise example, muddy water is a suspension. The mud particles are suspended throughout the water, which creates a mixture that appears cloudy or opaque. If the muddy water is allowed to stand undisturbed, these particles will settle at the bottom, clearly displaying the properties of a suspension. This is markedly different from the jasmine tea and gasoline examples, which are true solutions and do not have particles that settle.

Understanding suspensions is important in fields like environmental science, where sedimentation is used to purify water, and in the pharmaceutical industry, which must account for the stability of suspended drugs. Students should be able to recognize suspensions as this knowledge is applied in various scientific procedures and industrial processes.