non-uniform
A non-uniform mixture is one where the different components are visible as distinct bits, either to the naked eye or under a magnifying glass.
- A sprout salad is a good everyday example — you can spot individual chickpeas, onion pieces, and tomato without any special equipment.
- Because the parts stay visibly separate, a non-uniform mixture is usually the easiest kind to sort back into its original components, often just by picking or sieving.
- Non-uniform mixtures aren't limited to solids — muddy water, where sand or soil particles are suspended but not dissolved, is non-uniform too.
- The opposite case, where components blend so completely that nothing separate can be seen even under a microscope, is called a uniform mixture instead.
Pick out the chickpeas from a sprout salad with your fingers — that's a non-uniform mixture, one where every component stays visibly, separately itself.