Solutions and Mixtures Academic Glossary

Atom: Identified as the smallest part of a substance that cannot be broken down chemically.
Mass: Defined as the quantity of matter that a specific substance contains.
Volume: Represents the quantity of space occupied by a liquid, solid, or gas.
Density: A measure of the amount of matter present within a specific volume. It is expressed by the formula:
$density = \frac{mass}{volume}$
Particle: Defined as a small piece of matter.
Model: A representation used to describe, simplify, clarify, or provide an explanation of the structure, workings, or relationships within an object, system, or idea. Models are utilized to assist in making predictions.
Particle Theory of Matter: A foundational theory stating that all matter is composed of vibrating particles. This theory is used to predict changes to matter when energy is added (heating) or taken away (cooling).

Solid: A state of matter characterized by having a fixed volume and a fixed shape.
Liquid: A state of matter that possesses a fixed volume but does not have a fixed shape.
Gas: A state of matter that has neither a fixed volume nor a fixed shape.
Melting: The process of a substance changing its state from a solid to a liquid.
Boiling: The change in state from a liquid to a gas.
Evaporation: A state change where a liquid turns into a gas.
Condensation: The change in state from a gas into a liquid.
Freezing: The process of changing state from a liquid into a solid.
Sublimation: A change of state where a solid turns directly into a gas without passing through a liquid intermediate phase. This term is also utilized to describe the reverse process (gas to solid).
Expansion: Refers to the increase in distance between particles.
Contraction: Refers to the decrease in distance between particles.

Compound: A substance that is composed of two or more separate elements.
Mixture: A material made of different types of particles without a fixed ratio. Components of a mixture are not chemically combined, allowing them to be separated using physical means.
Homogenous: A combination of two or more substances that are evenly distributed throughout the mixture.
Heterogeneous: A combination of two or more substances that are not evenly distributed.
Pollutants: A substance that pollutes something.
Purification: The specific process of making a substance pure by removing impurities.

Solvent: The substance that does the dissolving.
Solute: The substance that is being dissolved.
Solution: A mixture formed by a solute and a solvent.
Aqueous: A specific type of solution where water acts as the solvent.
Soluble: Describes a substance that has the ability to be dissolved.
Insoluble: Describes a substance that cannot be dissolved.
Saturated: A state of a solution in which no more solute can be dissolved within the solvent.
Supersaturated: A solution that contains a higher amount of solute than a standard saturated solution.
Concentrated: A solution characterized by having a high amount of solute.
Dilute: A solution characterized by having a very small amount of solute.
Diffusion: The physical movement of particles from an area of higher concentration to an area of lower concentration.
Suspension: Fine particles that are kept suspended in a fluid by the force of buoyancy.

Centrifugation: A technique that utilizes high speeds to separate particles based on their varying densities.
Chromatography: The technical process of separating colors using a solvent.
Decanting: The process of removing liquid by pouring it slowly from a container.
Distillation: A process used to separate liquids based on their unique boiling points.
Filtration: The mechanical process of filtering a mixture.
Filtrate: The liquid that is collected after the process of filtering has occurred.
Residue: The insoluble substance that is collected in the filter paper following the filtration process.
Sedimentation: The process used for extracting sediments from a mixture.
Sieving: A process used to separate particles based specifically on their size.