Compound vs. Mixture: Know the Difference
By Shumaila Saeed || Updated on December 25, 2023
A compound is a substance formed when two or more elements chemically bond in fixed proportions, while a mixture is a combination of substances that retain their individual properties.
Key Differences
A compound is a substance formed when two or more elements are chemically bonded together. A mixture, on the other hand, is a combination of two or more substances that are not chemically bonded.
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Nov 18, 2023
In a compound, the elements involved lose their individual properties and form a new substance with different properties. In a mixture, the individual substances retain their original properties.
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Compounds have a uniform and definite composition, meaning the ratio of elements is fixed. Mixtures can have a variable composition and can be homogeneous (uniform throughout) or heterogeneous (non-uniform).
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The physical and chemical properties of a compound are distinct and differ from those of its constituent elements. The properties of a mixture are a blend of the properties of its components and can often be separated into their original substances.
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Water (H2O) is a classic example of a compound, where hydrogen and oxygen chemically combine. Air, a mixture of gases like nitrogen, oxygen, and others, exemplifies a mixture where each gas retains its properties.
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Comparison Chart
Chemical Bonding
Elements chemically bonded in a fixed ratio.
No chemical bonding, substances are just mixed.
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Properties
Unique, different from its constituents.
Retains properties of individual substances.
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Separation
Requires chemical reactions to separate.
Separated by physical means.
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Compound and Mixture Definitions
Compound
Chemical Substance
Water is a compound formed from hydrogen and oxygen.
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Compound
Unique Property Formation
The compound carbon dioxide has different properties than its elements.
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Mixture
Retained Component Properties
In a sugar-water mixture, both sugar and water retain their properties.
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Compound
Result of Chemical Reaction
When hydrogen burns in oxygen, the compound water is formed.
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Mixture
Variable Composition
The mixture of sand and salt can have any proportion of its components.
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Compound
Molecular Structure
Each molecule of a compound has a specific geometric structure.
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Mixture
Non-Chemical Blending
A mixture of oil and water doesn't involve chemical bonds.
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Compound
To combine so as to form a whole; mix
Tin was often compounded with lead to make pewter.
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Mixture
Easily Separable Components
The mixture of iron filings and sulfur can be separated with a magnet.
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Compound
To produce or create by combining two or more ingredients or parts; compose or make up
Pharmacists compounding prescriptions.
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Mixture
The act or process of mixing
An alloy made from the mixture of two metals.
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Compound
To settle (a debt, for example) by agreeing on an amount less than the claim; adjust.
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Mixture
The condition of being mixed
The inevitable mixture of different cultures in big cities.
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Compound
To add to or intensify so as to make worse
"The university authorities ... compounded their crime in dismissing [the professor] by denying that their action ... reflected any abridgment of academic freedom" (John Kenneth Galbraith).
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Mixture
One that consists of diverse elements
The day was a mixture of sun and clouds.
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Compound
To make worse by being an additional or intensifying factor
High winds compounded the difficulties of the firefighters.
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Mixture
(Chemistry) A composition of two or more substances that are not chemically combined with each other and are capable of being separated.
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Mixture
The act of mixing.
The mixture of sulphuric acid and water produces heat.
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Compound
Consisting of two or more substances, ingredients, elements, or parts.
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Mixture
Something that consists of diverse elements.
The day was a mixture of sunshine and showers.
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Mixture
A medicinal compound, typically a suspension of a solid in a solution
A teaspoonful of the mixture to be taken three times daily after meals
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Compound
(Linguistics) A word that consists either of two or more elements that are independent words, such as loudspeaker, self-portrait, or high school, or of specially modified combining forms of words, such as Greek philosophia, from philo-, "loving," and sophia, "wisdom."
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Compound
(Chemistry) A pure, macroscopically homogeneous substance consisting of atoms or ions of two or more different elements in definite proportions that cannot be separated by physical means. A compound usually has properties unlike those of its constituent elements.
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Compound
A building or buildings, especially a residence or group of residences, set off and enclosed by a barrier.
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Mixture
(India) A mix of different dry foods as a snack, especially chevda or Bombay mix.
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Mixture
The act of mixing, or the state of being mixed; as, made by a mixture of ingredients.
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Compound
An enclosure within which workers, prisoners, or soldiers are confined.
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Mixture
That which results from mixing different ingredients together; a compound; as, to drink a mixture of molasses and water; - also, a medley.
There is also a mixture of good and evil wisely distributed by God, to serve the ends of his providence.
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Mixture
An ingredient entering into a mixed mass; an additional ingredient.
Cicero doubts whether it were possible for a community to exist that had not a prevailing mixture of piety in its constitution.
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Compound
A group of buildings situated close together, e.g. for a school or block of offices.
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Mixture
A kind of liquid medicine made up of many ingredients; esp., as opposed to solution, a liquid preparation in which the solid ingredients are not completely dissolved.
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Mixture
A mass of two or more ingredients, the particles of which are separable, independent, and uncompounded with each other, no matter how thoroughly and finely commingled; - contrasted with a compound and solution; thus, gunpowder is a mechanical mixture of carbon, sulphur, and niter.
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Compound
(chemistry) A substance formed by chemical bonding of two or more elements in definite proportions by weight.
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Mixture
An organ stop, comprising from two to five ranges of pipes, used only in combination with the foundation and compound stops; - called also furniture stop. It consists of high harmonics, or overtones, of the ground tone.
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Mixture
(chemistry) a substance consisting of two or more substances mixed together (not in fixed proportions and not with chemical bonding)
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Mixture
Any foodstuff made by combining different ingredients;
He volunteered to taste her latest concoction
He drank a mixture of beer and lemonade
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Compound
(linguistics) A lexeme that consists of more than one stem or an affix, e.g. bookshop, high school or non-standard.
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Mixture
A collection containing a variety of sorts of things;
A great assortment of cars was on display
He had a variety of disorders
A veritable smorgasbord of religions
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Compound
(rail) A compound locomotive, a steam locomotive with both high-pressure and low-pressure cylinders.
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Mixture
An event that combines things in a mixture;
A gradual mixture of cultures
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Mixture
The act of mixing together;
Paste made by a mix of flour and water
The mixing of sound channels in the recording studio
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Compound
(math) Dealing with numbers of various denominations of quantity, or with processes more complex than the simple process.
Compound addition
Compound proportion
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Compound
(music) An octave higher than originally (i.e. a compound major second is equivalent to a major ninth).
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Compound
(transitive) To form (a resulting mixture) by combining different elements, ingredients, or parts; to mingle with something else.
To compound a medicine
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Compound
To settle by agreeing on less than the claim, or on different terms than those stipulated.
To compound a debt
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Compound
(intransitive) To come to terms of agreement; to settle by a compromise.
To compound with someone / for something
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Compound
To increase in value with interest, where the interest is earned on both the principal sum and prior earned interest.
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Compound
In the East Indies, an inclosure containing a house, outbuildings, etc.
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Compound
That which is compounded or formed by the union or mixture of elements ingredients, or parts; a combination of simples; a compound word; the result of composition.
Rare compound of oddity, frolic, and fun.
When the word "bishopric" was first made, it was made as a compound.
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Compound
A union of two or more ingredients in definite proportions by weight, so combined as to form a distinct substance; as, water is a compound of oxygen and hydrogen.
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Compound
To form or make by combining different elements, ingredients, or parts; as, to compound a medicine.
Incapacitating him from successfully compounding a tale of this sort.
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Compound
To put together, as elements, ingredients, or parts, in order to form a whole; to combine, mix, or unite.
We have the power of altering and compounding those images into all the varieties of picture.
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Compound
To modify or change by combination with some other thing or part; to mingle with something else.
Only compound me with forgotten dust.
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Compound
To settle amicably; to adjust by agreement; to compromise; to discharge from obligation upon terms different from those which were stipulated; as, to compound a debt.
I pray, my lords, let me compound this strife.
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Compound
To effect a composition; to come to terms of agreement; to agree; to settle by a compromise; - usually followed by with before the person participating, and for before the thing compounded or the consideration.
Here's a fellow will help you to-morrow; . . . compound with him by the year.
They were at last glad to compound for his bare commitment to the Tower.
Cornwall compounded to furnish ten oxen after Michaelmas for thirty pounds.
Compound for sins they are inclined toBy damning those they have no mind to.
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Compound
Composed of two or more elements, ingredients, parts; produced by the union of several ingredients, parts, or things; composite; as, a compound word.
Compound substances are made up of two or more simple substances.
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Compound
(chemistry) a substance formed by chemical union of two or more elements or ingredients in definite proportion by weight
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Compound
An enclosure of residences and other building (especially in the Orient)
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Compound
Make more intense, stronger, or more marked;
The efforts were intensified
Her rudeness intensified his dislike for her
Potsmokers claim it heightens their awareness
This event only deepened my convictions
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Compound
Of leaf shapes; of leaves composed of several similar parts or lobes
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Compound
Consisting of two or more substances or ingredients or elements or parts;
Soap is a compound substance
Housetop is a compound word
A blackberry is a compound fruit
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Compound
Composed of many distinct individuals united to form a whole or colony;
Coral is a colonial organism
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Compound
Fixed Proportion Combination
Table salt is a compound of sodium and chlorine in a 1:1 ratio.
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Repeatedly Asked Queries
What defines a mixture?
A mixture is a combination of two or more substances where each retains its individual properties.
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Is air a compound or a mixture?
Air is a mixture of various gases like nitrogen, oxygen, and carbon dioxide.
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Are the components of a mixture chemically bonded?
No, in a mixture, the components are not chemically bonded but physically mixed.
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What is an example of a compound?
Water (H2O) is an example of a compound, where hydrogen and oxygen are chemically bonded.
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What is a compound?
A compound is a substance formed when two or more elements chemically combine in a fixed ratio.
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Can mixtures be homogeneous?
Yes, mixtures can be homogeneous, like salt dissolved in water, or heterogeneous.
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How can you separate a compound?
Compounds can only be separated into their elements through chemical reactions.
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Do compounds have a definite melting and boiling point?
Compounds have definite and consistent melting and boiling points.
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How is a salad an example of a mixture?
A salad is a mixture because it contains different ingredients mixed together without any chemical bonding.
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What are the properties of a compound?
A compound has unique properties that are different from those of its constituent elements.
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What is a key characteristic of a compound?
A key characteristic of a compound is its fixed composition and molecular structure.
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How do compounds differ from their elements?
Compounds have different physical and chemical properties than the elements they are made of.
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Is a solution a compound or a mixture?
A solution is a type of homogeneous mixture, not a compound.
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How are elements in a compound represented?
Elements in a compound are represented by a chemical formula that shows the types and ratios of atoms.
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Are the properties of mixtures always the same?
The properties of mixtures can vary based on the composition and proportions of the mixed substances.
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Are alloys compounds or mixtures?
Alloys are considered mixtures because they are combinations of metals without specific element-to-element ratios.
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Can mixtures be easily separated?
Yes, mixtures can usually be separated by physical methods like filtration or distillation.
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What happens when elements form a compound?
When elements form a compound, they undergo a chemical change resulting in a substance with new properties.
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Is a mixture always visible to the naked eye?
Not always, some mixtures, like solutions, are homogeneous and appear as a single phase.
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Can the components of a mixture react chemically?
In a mixture, the components usually do not react chemically and maintain their original properties.
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About Author
Written by
Shumaila SaeedShumaila Saeed, an expert content creator with 6 years of experience, specializes in distilling complex topics into easily digestible comparisons, shining a light on the nuances that both inform and educate readers with clarity and accuracy.
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Hifza Nasir
