No, gasoline is not considered a pure substance. It is a mixture, made up of multiple substances that are not bonded to each other.
Read on, and we’ll explain more about what a pure substance is, and why it is that gasoline is not one.
Why Is Gasoline A Pure Substance? (Or Not?)
What Is A Pure Substance?
To understand why gasoline is not a pure substance, you have to first understand what a pure substance is.
Chemically and scientifically, a substance is considered a pure substance when it is composed of only one building block.
That building block could be an element, as we see in gold, lead, and iron.
That building block could be a compound, as we see with water, carbon dioxide, and table salt.
If the substance needs to have more than one building block (such as more than one element or compound), then it cannot be considered a pure substance.
What Is Gasoline?
The next step to understanding why gasoline is not considered a pure substance is understanding what gasoline is.
Gasoline as actually made up of multiple substances, which can vary depending on who made the gasoline and the intended “formulation.”
Gasoline is a refined product of petroleum, and the finished product includes hydrocarbons, additives, and blending agents.
Depending on the product, gasoline could have hundreds of different compounds.
It is important to note that these compounds are not bonded to each other.
Does Gasoline Qualify As A Pure Substance?
No, gasoline does not qualify as a pure substance because it is made up of potentially hundreds of different compounds (building blocks) that are not bonded to each other.
It is the lack of bonds between the substances that is the differentiating factor in this analysis.
Is Gasoline A Mixture?
Yes, gasoline qualifies as a mixture.
A mixture is a substance made of more than one kind of material that is not bonded to the others.
The substances can be separated without having to create a chemical reaction, though the materials may not act the way that they did when they were separated.
In the case of gasoline, there are hundreds of various materials that go into the final gasoline product.
They are not bonded to each other.
As a result, gasoline is considered a mixture.
Is Gasoline A Heterogeneous or Homogeneous Mixture?
Gasoline is a homogeneous mixture.
A homogeneous mixture is one that is chemically and physically consistent throughout the material.
A heterogeneous mixture is one that is not chemically and physically consistent throughout the material.
Gasoline is extensively processed and mixed to make sure that it is homogeneous, so that people who use the product can receive a consistent performance.
If you were to sample one area of gasoline, it is highly likely that if you sampled another area of the same gasoline, that the samples would be the same.
That being said, it is important to note that gasolines will vary from product to product, so not all gasoline is chemically the same as the rest.
Is Gasoline A Compound?
No, gasoline is not a compound.
A compound is formed when more than one kind of material (element, molecule, or compound) bonds to another material.
They are not easily separated.
In many cases, the characteristics and behavior of the bonded substance is often very different from the attributes of the materials separately.
The various substance in gasoline may be compounds (and many of them are).
But because the various compounds are not also bonded to each other, gasoline is not a compound.
Wrap Up
Curious about whether other materials you know of are considered pure substances, such as: ammonia, hydrogen, blood, baking powder, steam, diamond, sand, orange juice, aluminum foil, limestone, or steam?.
