What do you call a material made up of distinct elements, compounds, or both, that are not chemically combined?

A material made up of distinct elements, compounds, or both that are not chemically combined is referred to as a mixture. In a mixture, the individual substances retain their own properties and can be separated by physical means, such as filtration or distillation. This distinguishes mixtures from compounds, where the elements are chemically bonded and cannot be separated without changing the chemical structure.

For example, if you mix salt and sand, you still have salt and sand, each with their unique properties. You can easily separate them through physical methods. This is in contrast to a compound, in which the elements involved form a new substance with different properties than the original elements. Molecules refer specifically to groups of atoms that are bonded together and thus do not apply to the definition of a mixture, where no chemical bonding occurs.

In the case of crystals, they refer to a specific solid form of matter that has a regular geometric structure, which is typically a result of a repeating pattern of atoms or molecules. However, crystals are not directly defined by the combination or lack thereof of distinct elements and compounds. Hence, the definition aligns precisely with the concept of a mixture.