A substance that is either an element or a compound is called a?

A substance that is either an element or a compound is called a?

• A. Element
• B. Mixture
• C. Compound
• D. Pure Substance

Answer: (D)

Pure substances have a fixed, uniform composition. An element is a pure substance made of a single kind of atom, while a compound is also a pure substance but formed when two or more elements are chemically bonded in a definite ratio. A mixture, on the other hand, contains two or more substances that are physically combined and can vary in proportion, so it is not a pure substance. Since both elements and compounds fit the idea of a substance with consistent composition, the term that describes them is pure substance.

Pure substances have a fixed, uniform composition. An element is a pure substance made of a single kind of atom, while a compound is also a pure substance but formed when two or more elements are chemically bonded in a definite ratio. A mixture, on the other hand, contains two or more substances that are physically combined and can vary in proportion, so it is not a pure substance. Since both elements and compounds fit the idea of a substance with consistent composition, the term that describes them is pure substance.