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Chapter 4: Problem 4

If you classify everything around you as an element, a compound, on a mixture, which category would have the largest number of entries?

Short Answer

Expert verified
Answer: Mixtures have the largest number of entries due to their diverse and abundant presence in everyday life, as they include all possible combinations of elements and/or compounds.

Step by step solution

01

Define the Categories

An element is a pure substance that cannot be broken down into simpler substances through ordinary chemical means. Examples include hydrogen, carbon, and oxygen. A compound is a pure substance composed of two or more elements chemically combined, such as water (H2O), carbon dioxide (CO2), and sodium chloride (NaCl). A mixture is a combination of two or more substances that retain their original properties and are not chemically combined. Mixtures can be homogeneous (uniform composition) or heterogeneous (non-uniform composition). Examples of mixtures include air, saltwater, and soil.
02

Analyze the Surroundings

In our everyday surroundings, we encounter a vast number of substances. The air we breathe is a mixture of many gases, such as nitrogen, oxygen, carbon dioxide, and water vapor. Various objects we interact with are composed of several materials, which could be a mixture of elements, compounds, or even other mixtures. The food we consume, for example, is mostly a mixture of compounds and mixtures. It's important to consider that compounds, being chemically combined elements, collectively contain all known elements. Mixtures, on the other hand, consist of any combinations of elements and/or compounds, which means they include all possible combinations of substances.
03

Identify the Category with the Largest Number of Entries

Given the vast number of substances in our surroundings and the fact that mixtures include all possible combinations of elements and/or compounds, we can deduce that the category with the largest number of entries would be mixtures. Their diverse and abundant presence in everyday life makes this category overshadow the number of individual elements and compounds.

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Most popular questions from this chapter

The mass density of a mixture of ethyl alcohol and water is 950 \(\mathrm{kg} / \mathrm{m}^{3}\). Is the mixture mostly water, mostly alcohol, or about half and half? What is your reasoning?

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What is the difference between a mixture of two elements and a compound formed from the two elements?

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