Assertion (A): Air is a pure substance but a mixture of air and liquid...
Assertion (A): Air is a pure substance but a mixture of air and liquid air in a cylinder is not a pure substance.
Reason (R): Air is homogeneous in composition but a mixture of air and liquid air is heterogeneous.
Explanation:
Air as a Pure Substance:
- Air is a gaseous mixture primarily composed of nitrogen (78%), oxygen (21%), and traces of other gases such as carbon dioxide, argon, and water vapor.
- It is considered a pure substance because it is a homogeneous mixture, meaning that its composition is uniform throughout. This means that the proportions of the different gases in air remain constant regardless of the location.
Mixture of Air and Liquid Air:
- Liquid air is obtained by cooling and liquefying the components of air through a process called air liquefaction.
- When air and liquid air are mixed in a cylinder, it forms a two-phase system with distinct regions of gas and liquid.
- The gas phase consists of the remaining gaseous components of air, while the liquid phase consists of the liquefied nitrogen and oxygen.
- Since the composition of the mixture is not uniform throughout and there are distinct phases present, the mixture of air and liquid air is considered a heterogeneous mixture.
Explanation of Assertion (A):
- The assertion states that air is a pure substance, which is true as discussed above.
- Air is homogeneous in composition, meaning that its components are uniformly dispersed and cannot be separated by physical means.
- Therefore, air can be classified as a pure substance.
Explanation of Reason (R):
- The reason states that a mixture of air and liquid air is heterogeneous, which is true as discussed above.
- The mixture contains distinct regions of gas and liquid, making it non-uniform in composition.
- Heterogeneous mixtures have varying compositions and can be separated into their individual components by physical means.
Explanation of Correct Option:
- Both the assertion and the reason are individually true.
- The reason correctly explains the assertion, as the heterogeneity of the mixture of air and liquid air is the reason why it is not considered a pure substance.
- Therefore, option (a) "Both A and R are individually true and R is the correct explanation of A" is the correct answer.
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