Question

Under which category of mixtures will you classify alloys and why?

Answer 1

A mixture is constituent which may consist of solids, liquids or gases. A mixture is of two types one is homogeneous and other is heterogeneous.

Complete answer:
A mixture is a chemical composition of several compounds in the form of solids, liquids and gases. A mixture is classified as a homogeneous mixture or a heterogeneous mixture. A homogenous mixture is a uniform distribution of the substances mixed with each other and a heterogeneous mixture is a non-uniform distribution of the mixed substances.
A homogeneous mixture appears as a clear solution but a heterogeneous mixture appears as a solid-liquid mixture which contains insoluble residues. An alloy is a combination of several metals which are mixed with one or more elements. As for example, red gold and white gold are two alloys of gold which contain copper and silver elements.
Iron, another important element in the periodic table, is used to produce alloys which are commonly used for household purposes. Iron in combination with elements like carbon and silicon led to formation of steel or silicon steel. The alloys thus formed are found to be harder and possess more strength. The alloys show the properties of both the elements which are used for its formation.
An alloy is considered as a solid solution of metallic elements which are composed of uniform mixture. The uniformity of the elements led to formation of definite crystalline structures based on the type of bonding present between the metals and other elements.
The metallic bonding character present in alloys results in various properties like corrosion resistance or mechanical strength. Further if is impossible to separate the metals and the elements from an alloy once formed. Hence they can be further classified as homogeneous which consists of a single phase.

Note:
Alloys have a wide range of applications in automobiles or making tools or in industries. Some of the commonly used alloys are steel, brass, bronze amalgams and duralumin. The classification is based on the homogeneity of the elements combined to form these alloys.