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What is the difference between heterogeneous and homogeneous?

What is the difference between heterogeneous and homogeneous?

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Asked by John Adney, Last updated: Nov 09, 2024

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8 Answers

R. Jones

R. Jones

Curious about the World

R. Jones
R. Jones, Student, Postgraduate, Calgary

Answered Jan 28, 2021

Homogeneous substances or mixtures are always considered to be pure substances or mixtures. They can be explained as mixtures that have a single phase. That means when you mix them together; they are evenly mixed, that you cannot identify the difference between them, and you can also not separate them physically.

For example, the mixture of kerosene and petrol is a homogeneous mixture; you won't physically see the difference between them. On the other hand, heterogeneous substances or mixtures are considered to be impure substances. They do not have a single phase. This simply means that heterogeneous mixtures are not evenly mixed together.

When you separate them, you can still physically see the difference or separate the mixture. They will form two different layers. For example, the mixture of water and oil can be physically seen to form different layers. So, we can explain homogeneous to be a single thing, while heterogeneous can be described as more than one thing.

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Leo Samuels

Leo Samuels

A good learner

Leo Samuels
Leo Samuels, Content Writer, PG, California

Answered Jan 22, 2021

Heterogenous and homogenous mixtures are primary types of mixtures. Mixtures are formed when two or more substances, which can be elements or compounds, are joined together without the inclusion of chemical changes.

Homogenous simply means the same. Homogeneous mixtures are mixtures that the components are uniformly distributed when mixed, while the heterogenous simply means a different mixture is a mixture that does not have a uniform composition.

The homogenous mixture has one phase, while the heterogenous has two or more phases. A homogenous mixture is commonly referred to as a solution.

An example of a homogenous mixture is alcohol and water, while an example of a heterogeneous mixture is sand and sodium chloride. A homogeneous mixture can not be the judge with plain eyes, while the heterogeneous mixture can be seen clearly.

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C. OWENS

C. OWENS

I love to do some charity work. Have a passion for writing and do it in my spare time

C. OWENS
C. OWENS, philanthropist, MD, Bristol

Answered Jan 22, 2021

Homogeneous and heterogeneous are two types of mixtures that are studied and apart of science. To start identifying the difference between these two mixtures, we can look at the prefixes of each word. The prefix homo means single. In relation to a homogeneous mixture, this means the mixture only goes through one phase.

Hetero is a prefix that means one or more or many. In relation to a heterogeneous mixture, it means the mixture goes through one or more phases or many types of phases to get to the ens result of the mixture. These mixtures are studied in the science of chemistry.

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G. Woods

G. Woods

Traveler and writer by profession.

G. Woods
G. Woods, College student, Graduate, Southampton

Answered Jan 21, 2021

Homogeneous and heterogeneous are two types of mixtures that are related to the subject science, specifically chemistry. The prefixes of both words help us understand the difference between the two mixtures. The prefix homo means single. The prefix hetero means more than one or many things.

Using these prefixes, we can understand that homogeneous is a mixture that only goes through one phase. For example, two or more things are mixed together and they just become one new substance is a homogeneous mixture. Heterogeneous is a mixture that has many phases, such as substances that mix together and go through many other steps to create the mixture.

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Victoria Martian

Victoria Martian

I love to share my experiences online

Victoria Martian
Victoria Martian, Blogger, B.com in Journalism, New York

Answered Jan 19, 2021

A homogenous mixture is a mixture in which the components that make up the mixture are evenly dispersed throughout the mixture. The makeup of the mixture is the same throughout. There is only one stage of matter observed in a homogenous mixture at a time. On the other hand, a heterogeneous combination is a mixture in which the components of a mixture are not the same or have confined regions with different properties.

Different samples from the mixture are not equal. There are always two or more stages in a heterogeneous mixture, where you can recognize an area with individual properties. Homogenous mixtures are not as standard as heterogeneous mixtures.

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H. Ruby

H. Ruby

H. Ruby
H. Ruby

Answered Jan 19, 2021

When you say homogenous mixture, you mean to say that this is made out of a pure substance. When you say heterogeneous mixture, you mean to say that this is something that comes in two or more phases.

For example, when you mix oil and water together, this is considered to be a heterogeneous mixture because the oil and water will not be mixing well together. in fact, you will see that there are two different layers that are available.

A homogenous mixture will have a uniform composition while a heterogenous mixture will have a non−uniform composition. The homogenous mixture cannot be separated physically but heterogeneous mixtures can.

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O. Bickis

O. Bickis

Get immense pleasure in traveling and writing about visiting places.

O. Bickis
O. Bickis, Corporate employee, MBA, Stockton

Answered Jan 14, 2021

Homogeneous and heterogeneous are two different terms that are used widely in some science subjects. These two words are kind of similar but their prefixes make the difference between them. "Homo" generally means "single", "hetero" generally refers to "more than one or many". These two terms are used in relating to substances or phases in chemistry.

A homogeneous mixture is simply a pure substance, a mixture that has only a single phase. A heterogeneous mixture has more than one phase, which ranges from two phases upward. When two or more substances are mixed together, and they become a new pure substance entirely, then it is referred to as a homogeneous mixture.

When two or more substances are mixed together, and they form different layers such that they refuse to mix together evenly, then that is referred to as a heterogeneous mixture. The homogeneous mixture has relatively the same appearance and composition, and they are mostly referred to as solutions.

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Ken Wilson

Ken Wilson

Want to learn new things and share my knowledge

Ken Wilson
Ken Wilson, Marketing Analyst, MBA, Miami

Answered Jun 18, 2019

A homogenous mixture looks the same throughout. This means that even if different elements are available, the mixture will look like it is only made up of one element. A heterogeneous mixture will show that it has different substances that are included. An example of a homogenous mixture is sugar solution. If you would look at the mix, it will seem like it is just made up of water, but if you would taste it, it will taste sweet.

A homogenous mixture looks the same throughout. This means that even if different elements are
This means that the sugar has mixed thoroughly with water. An example of a heterogeneous mixture is oil and water. No matter how much you mix it, the oil will always be separated from the water.

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