Sharon pours salt into a glass of water, and the salt dissolves completely. The substance in the glass is best described as:

• A. a heterogeneous mixture
• B. a homogeneous solution
• C. a pure substance
• D. a suspension

Answer: (B)

Verified step by step guidance

1. Understand the definitions of the terms: a heterogeneous mixture consists of visibly different substances or phases; a homogeneous solution has a uniform composition throughout; a pure substance contains only one type of particle; a suspension is a mixture where particles are dispersed but not dissolved and can settle over time.
2. Recognize that when salt dissolves completely in water, the salt ions are evenly distributed at the molecular level, creating a uniform mixture.
3. Since the salt is fully dissolved and the mixture looks the same throughout, it does not have visibly different parts, so it is not heterogeneous.
4. Because the salt and water form a uniform mixture without settling particles, it is not a suspension.
5. Since the mixture contains more than one substance (salt and water), it is not a pure substance but a homogeneous solution.