Question

Question: Describe how the properties of seawater illustrate the two characteristics that define mixtures.

Short answer

Answer

Sea water is a complex mixture of dissolved ions and covalent substances including${\mathbf{Na}}^{\mathbf{+}}\mathbf{,}{\mathbf{Mg}}^{\mathbf{+}\mathbf{2}}\mathbf{,}{\mathbf{Cl}}^{\mathbf{-}}\mathbf{,}{\mathbf{O}}_{\mathbf{2}}\mathbf{,}{\mathbf{CO}}_{\mathbf{2}}$along with water.

Step-by-step solution

Characteristics of mixtures

• Two or more substances physically mixed together but not chemically combined are called mixtures.
• Composition of the mixture is variable, and it retains some properties of the composition. Also, components can be separated by physical means.

Properties of mixture explained by seawater.

Sea water consists of various ions, gases, and water that are not chemically bonded to each other, which defines the basic characteristic of a mixture. Also, seawater has dissolved sodium chloride in it which can be separated by physical means. Hence, seawater can explain the characteristics of the mixture very well.