Is Distilled Water a Mixture, Compound or Element?

Distilled water, as long as it's not contaminated with any other elements or compounds, is a compound. However, if another substance is introduced, it can become a mixture. For example, salt water is a mixture because it contains water molecules and salt ions. Distillation is a process that involves boiling away water molecules and condensing them in another container to yield pure water, leaving only impurities in the original container.