Which of the following best describes tea prepared by steeping tea leaves in hot water?

• A. Tea is a pure substance because it contains only one type of molecule.
• B. Tea is a colloid because it contains large particles that do not settle out.
• C. Tea is a solution because the dissolved substances are uniformly distributed in water.
• D. Tea is a suspension because the tea leaves remain evenly dispersed throughout the liquid.

Answer: (C)

Verified step by step guidance

1. Understand the definitions of the terms involved: a pure substance contains only one type of molecule; a colloid contains particles that are intermediate in size and do not settle out; a solution is a homogeneous mixture where solutes are uniformly distributed in the solvent; a suspension contains larger particles that eventually settle out.
2. Consider the composition of tea prepared by steeping tea leaves in hot water: the water acts as the solvent, and various compounds from the tea leaves dissolve into the water.
3. Recognize that the dissolved substances in tea are molecular or ionic species that are evenly distributed throughout the water, forming a homogeneous mixture.
4. Since the particles are dissolved and do not settle out, tea does not fit the description of a suspension or a colloid.
5. Conclude that tea prepared this way is best described as a solution because it is a homogeneous mixture with dissolved substances uniformly distributed in the solvent.