Air contains mostly nitrogen (78%) and oxygen (21%). It also contains other gases, including carbon dioxide and helium, and various pollutants (both gases and solids). Write a brief explanation about why air is a mixture, whether it is homogeneous or heterogeneous, and how it can be separated into its components.

Question

Chemistry

Lorenzo Marquez

12 December, 23:51

Air contains mostly nitrogen (78%) and oxygen (21%). It also contains other gases, including carbon dioxide and helium, and various pollutants (both gases and solids). Write a brief explanation about why air is a mixture, whether it is homogeneous or heterogeneous, and how it can be separated into its components.

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Holly Green · Answer 1

Air is a mixture because it consists of more than one substance.

If it contains solids, it is a heterogeneous mixture, because it contains both gases and solids.

The solids can be removed by electrostatic precipitation.

The liquids can be removed by fractional distillation.

You cool the air to a temperature below - 269 °C and then carry out a fractional distillation.

The helium will distill at - 269 °C.

The nitrogen will distill at - 196 °C.

The oxygen will distill at - 183 °C.

The residue will be solid carbon dioxide, which is a solid that sublimes at

-78.5 °C.