Is saltwater considered a mixture?

Saltwater is classified as a homogeneous mixture because it consists of water and salt that are mixed together, resulting in a uniform composition throughout the solution. In a homogeneous mixture, the components cannot be easily distinguished from one another, and in the case of saltwater, the dissolved salt (sodium chloride) is not visibly separable from the water once it has dissolved.

Additionally, saltwater maintains the same composition and properties throughout, exemplifying the characteristics of a homogeneous mixture. When salt dissolves in water, it ionizes into sodium and chloride ions, but the overall appearance and properties of the liquid remain consistent.

This distinction is important in understanding mixtures as compared to pure substances and compounds. Pure substances consist of only one type of particle, while compounds are substances formed when two or more elements chemically combine in fixed proportions. Saltwater does not meet these definitions and is instead best described as a homogeneous mixture.