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Hi there! I am Studyfin, your science guide. Today, we will explore how different materials mix together!
In science, a mixture is what you get when you combine two or more things. The cool part is that each part keeps its own properties. You can easily separate them back out!
Think of a fruit salad with grapes and strawberries. You can easily see each piece of fruit. You can also pick them apart with a spoon because they do not change into something new.
A solution is a special kind of mixture. In a solution, one substance dissolves completely into another. The parts mix so well that you cannot see them separately anymore!
Let us explain and justify how we know the difference. In a salt water solution, the salt seems to disappear. However, we can prove the salt is still there by boiling the water away, leaving the salt behind!
Classify a cup of sand and water, and a cup of salt and water. Explain how they are different.
- Step 1: Look at the sand and water. The sand grains settle at the bottom. You can still see them clearly.
- Step 2: Classify the sand and water as a simple mixture. The sand does not dissolve.
- Step 3: Look at the salt and water. Once stirred, the salt completely disappears into the water.
- Step 4: Classify the salt and water as a solution. The salt dissolves and spreads out evenly.
- Step 5: Justify your answer. You can separate the sand with a paper filter. To separate the salt, you must evaporate the water.
