difference between solution and pure substance
H2O is a pure substance.
Sugar dissolved in water is a solution.
A solution is a type of mixture in which one or more substances (known as solutes) are dissolved in a solvent. A pure substance, on the other hand, refers to a substance that consists of only one type of particle, either atoms, ions, or molecules.
To understand the difference between a solution and a pure substance, it is important to consider their composition and physical properties.
1. Composition:
- Solution: A solution is composed of a solvent and one or more solutes. The solutes are evenly distributed throughout the solvent, resulting in a homogeneous mixture.
- Pure substance: A pure substance consists of only one type of particle. It can either be an element, such as gold or oxygen, or a compound, like water or table salt.
2. Types of particles:
- Solution: In a solution, the solute particles get dispersed, or dissolved, at the molecular level within the solvent particles. The solute particles are considered to be at the molecular or ionic level.
- Pure substance: A pure substance consists of particles that are all the same at the atomic or molecular level. These particles can be atoms of the same element or molecules of a compound.
3. Physical properties:
- Solution: Solutions have the same physical properties throughout, meaning that the properties of the solvent and the solute particles blend together. For example, if sugar is dissolved in water to make a sugar solution, the resulting solution will have the taste, color, and other physical properties of the dissolved sugar.
- Pure substance: Pure substances tend to have distinct physical properties that are characteristic of the substance. For instance, pure water has a freezing point of 0°C and a boiling point of 100°C.
In summary, a solution is a mixture of a solvent and solutes, where the solute particles are dispersed at the molecular level within the solvent. A pure substance, on the other hand, consists of only one type of particle and has distinct physical properties.