Question

Classify the following as solution or heterogeneous mixture. (a) iron ore (b) chicken noodle soup (c) tears

Short answer

Question: Classify the given substances as either a solution or a heterogeneous mixture: (a) Iron ore, (b) Chicken noodle soup, (c) Tears. Answer: (a) Iron ore is a heterogeneous mixture, (b) Chicken noodle soup is a heterogeneous mixture, (c) Tears are a solution.

Step-by-step solution

(a) Iron ore

Iron ore is a naturally occurring solid material extracted from the earth, containing a mixture of various minerals and iron. The components in iron ore are not uniformly distributed throughout the substance, as they can exhibit differences in texture, composition, and color. Therefore, iron ore is a heterogeneous mixture.

(b) Chicken noodle soup

Chicken noodle soup contains several components such as noodles, vegetables, chicken, and broth. These components have different physical properties, and they are not uniformly distributed throughout the soup. You can easily observe the different ingredients and phases (solid and liquid) in the soup. Thus, chicken noodle soup is a heterogeneous mixture.

(c) Tears

Tears are a mixture of water, salts, enzymes, and other substances such as proteins and oils. These components are uniformly distributed in tears, and we can sense only one phase: liquid. As a result, tears can be classified as a solution.