A mixture is a physical combination of two or more substances that are not chemically bonded. The substances in a mixture retain their individual identities and properties, and the mixture can be separated back into its original components using physical methods. Mixtures can be made up of elements, compounds, or both, and they can be in the form of solutions, suspensions, or colloids.

There are two main types of mixtures: heterogeneous and homogeneous. Heterogeneous mixtures have visually distinguishable components, while homogeneous mixtures appear uniform throughout. An example of a heterogeneous mixture would be a stew, where you can easily distinguish the different ingredients, while tea would be an example of a homogeneous mixture because the ingredients are mixed together evenly such that you could not distinguish the sugar from the water.

Some general properties of mixtures include:

• The components of a mixture each keep their original properties.
• The separation of components can be easily done.
• The proportion of the components is variable.

Examples of mixtures include crude oil, seawater, air, ink, and gunpowder.