You are given a liquid. briefly describe the steps you would take to show whether it is a pure substance or a homogeneous mixture.

By using any one technique like boiling, distillation, condensation ,etc , one can be used to distinguish between a pure substance and a homogeneous mixture.

Explanation:

If the liquid is a pure substance, then it can not be separated by using physical means because all atoms of a pure substance show same properties.

But on the other hand, if there is homogeneous mixture, it can be separated by using techniques like boiling, distillation, condensation ,etc.

Thus, using any of the one method listed above can be used to distinguish between a pure substance and a homogeneous mixture.

explanation:

metals have excess of electrons whereas non-metals have deficiency of electrons. thus, in order to gain stability metals easily donate their electrons to the non-metals.

for example, electronic configuration of sodium is and electronic configuration of phosphorous is .

when a phosphorous atom and sodium atom combine together then sodium will donate is extra one electron to the phosphorous atom. as a result there will be formation of ionic bond between sodium and phosphorous.

the reaction will be as follows.

there, are three sodium sodium atoms and each of them will donate its one extra electron to phosphorous atom. thus, the sub-shell of phosphorous gets completely filled.  

thus, we can conclude that electrons are transferred from atoms of sodium to atoms of phosphorous. this transfer makes the sodium atoms donate one electron and the phosphorous atoms to gain one electron. as a result, the sodium and phosphorus atoms strongly attract each other.