Ph y s i c a l Sc i e n c e L a b s

Ch e m i s t r y : Se p a r a t i n g M i x t u r e s w i t h M a g n e t s

St u f f y o u n e e d :
iron filings; sand or salt ; m agnet ; t w o shallow dishes or pans

St e p s y o u d o :
1.

Using approx im at ely t he sam e am ount of sand and iron filings,

m ix t he t w o t oget her in a shallow dish or pan.

2.

St i r t h e t w o s u b s t a n c e s t h o r o u g h l y . Y o u m a d e a m i x t u r e .
De s c r i b e i t h e r e :
____________________________________________________________________

3.

Si n c e p a r t o f t h e m i x t u r e i s a s p e c i f i c m e t a l (i r o n ), w h a t w o u l d b e
one w ay you c ould separat e t he t w o m at erials in your m ix t ure?
____________________________________________________________________

4.

U s i n g a m a g n e t (c o v e r i t w i t h a p i e c e o f p a p e r f i r s t ), s e p a r a t e t h e
i r o n f r o m t h e s a n d i n y o u r m i x t u r e . (Pl a c e t h e i r o n f i l i n g s i n a
s e p a r a t e d i s h .) De s c r i b e h o w t h e s a l t l o o k s n o w .
____________________________________________________________________

5.

Is t he brow n salt at t rac t ed by t he m agnet ? If not , w hat c ould t he

b r o w n c o l o r b e f r o m ? (N o t e : r u s t [ o r i r o n o x i d e ] i s n o t m a g n e t i c .)
____________________________________________________________________

Wh y i t w o r k s ?????
A.

B.

You m ade a m ix t ure. A m ix t ure is t w o or m ore pure subst anc es

(e l e m e n t s o r c o m p o u n d s ) t h a t a r e m i x e d t o g e t h e r b u t N OT
c h e m i c a l l y c o m b i n e d . (M a k i n g o n l y a p h y s i c a l c h a n g e .)
T h e c o m p o n e n t s o f a m i x t u r e c a n b e s e p a r a t e d . So m e t i m e s i t i s
hard t o separat e t hem , and som et im es it is easy t o separat e
t hem . There are ot her w ays t o separat e m ix t ures besides using a
m a g n e t . (T h i s i s a g o o d t h i n g s i n c e n o t a l l t h i n g s a r e a t t r a c t e d t o
a m a g n e t .) Ex p l a i n w h y t h e s a l t a n d i r o n f i l i n g s s e p a r a t e d h e r e :
____________________________________________________________________

Ph y s i c a l Sc i e n c e L a b s
Ch e m i s t r y : Se p a r a t i n g M i x t u r e s w i t h Di s t i l l a t i o n

St u f f y o u n e e d :
w a t e r , s a l t , h o t p l a t e (o r o t h e r s o u r c e o f h e a t ), s m a l l s a u c e p a n w i t h
lid, dish

St e p s y o u d o :
1.

2.

3.

4.

5.

6.

M a k e a m i x t u r e o f s a l t a n d w a t e r . U s e a b o u t 1 /4 c u p o f w a t e r
a n d t w o t a b l e s p o o n s o f s a l t . De s c r i b e t h e m i x t u r e p r o d u c e d .
(I n c l u d e w h e t h e r i t i s h o m o g e n e o u s o r h e t e r o g e n e o u s .)
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Have one person in your group dip her finger in t he m ix t ure and
t a s t e i t t o c h e c k t h a t i t i s i n d e e d a m i x t u r e o f s a l t a n d w a t e r . Pu t
t heir nam e and t heir c onc lusion here:
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How c ould you separat e t his m ix t ure bac k in t he c om ponent s of
s a l t a n d w a t e r ? (Su g g e s t a p o s s i b l e m e t h o d .)
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Pl a c e t h e m i x t u r e i n a s a u c e p a n a n d h e a t i t u s i n g a h o t p l a t e o r a
s p i r i t b u r n e r . Co v e r t h e p a n w i t h a l a r g e l i d , s e t a t a s l a n t o v e r
t h e e d g e o f t h e p a n . (T h i s l i d s h o u l d b e l a r g e r t h a n t h e p a n .)
Wh a t d o y o u s e e c o m i n g o u t a r o u n d t h e l i d ?
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Pl a c e a d i s h u n d e r t h e e d g e o f t h e l i d . A s t h e w a t e r a n d s a l t a r e
h e a t e d , d r o p s o f l i q u i d w i l l c o l l e c t o n t h e b o t t o m o f t h e l i d . Wh a t
does t he liquid look lik e?
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The sam e group volunt eer w ho t ast ed t he m ix t ure of w at er and
s a l t b e f o r e , t a s t e s t h e w a t e r t h a t d r i p s o f f t h e l i d . Wh a t d i d y o u
observe is different about t he t ast e?
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Wh y i t w o r k s ?????
A.
B.

As t he salt w at er heat s, t he w at er evaporat es from t he sauc e pan

but t he salt does not .
Wh e n t h e w a t e r e v a p o r a t e s a n d t h e n c o n d e n s e s o n t h e l i d , t h e

C.
D.

salt is left behind in t he sauc e pan.

This w at er is separat ed from t he salt and is onc e again pure
w at er.
This proc ess is c alled dist illat ion, t he purifying of liquids by
boiling and c ollec t ing t he vapor as it c ondenses.

Ph y s i c a l Sc i e n c e L a b s
Ch e m i s t r y : Se p a r a t i n g M i x t u r e s w i t h
Ch r o m a t o g r a p h y

St u f f y o u n e e d :
c o f f e e f i l t e r p a p e r , p a p e r c l i p s , w a t e r s o l u b l e f e l t -t i p p e d p e n s , p l a s t i c
c ups

St e p s y o u d o :
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.

7.
8.

Cu t s t r i p s o f f i l t e r p a p e r 1 i n c h w i d e a n d 3 i n c h e s l o n g .
Trim one end of t he st rips t o a point as show n.
U s i n g t h e f e l t -t i p p e n , m a k e a d a r k l i n e a c r o s s t h e s t r i p
just above t he point ed sec t ion
Pl a c e a s m a l l a m o u n t o f w a t e r i n t h e b o t t o m o f c l e a n
c u p (p r e p a r e a s e p a r a t e c u p f o r e a c h s t r i p o f p a p e r ).
St r a i g h t e n a p a p e r c l i p a n d p o k e i t t h r o u g h t h e t o p o f t h e
paper slip.
Pl a c e t h e c l i p a c r o s s t h e t o p o f a c u p s o t h a t t h e p o i n t e d
end of t he paper slip hangs dow n int o t he c up. Adjust t he c lip
a n d /o r t h e w a t e r l e v e l s o t h a t t h e p a p e r j u s t t o u c h e s t h e w a t e r .
Wa i t s e v e r a l m i n u t e s w h i l e t h e w a t e r f l o w s u p t h e s t r i p b y
c apillary ac t ion.
Fi l l i n t h e c h a r t , s h o w i n g t h e o r i g i n a l c o l o r o f t h e i n k a n d t h e
c o l o r s i t s e p a r a t e d i n t o (s o m e m a y b e o n l y ON E c o l o r ).

Or i g i n a l c o l o r

Co l o r s f o u n d
aft er separat ion

Int erest ing t hings observed

Wh y i t w o r k s :
A.

Most of t he ink s used are a m ix t ure of t w o or m ore c olors. The

w at er c arries t he ink dyes along t he paper. Bec ause som e of t he
different c olors st ic k t o t he paper bet t er and som e are c arried
along by t he w at er m ore easily, t hey separat ed from eac h ot her.

B.

This proc ess is c alled c hrom at ography. This is a t ec hnique for

separat ing m ix t ures of solids, gases or liquids by c ausing t he
different part s of t he m ix t ure t o m ove t hrough an absorbent
m at erial at different rat es.

Sa m p l e s o f c h r o m a t o g r a p h i c s e p a r a t i o n s :
Tape one or m ore dried separat ion st rips t o t his page. List t he original
c o l o r a n d t h e c o l o r s a f t e r s e p a r a t i o n . Dr a w a r r o w s t o i n d i c a t e w h e r e
e a c h i s (o r w a s ).

Ph y s i c a l Sc i e n c e L a b s
Ch e m i s t r y : Se p a r a t i n g M i x t u r e s w i t h Se d i m e n t a t i o n

St u f f y o u n e e d :
dirt ; w at er; jar w it h lid

St e p s y o u d o :
1.

Pl a c e a b o u t c u p o f d i r t i n a m e d i u m s i ze j a r .

2.

Add w at er t o t he jar so t hat is c overs t he dirt and is several

c ent im et ers above t he level of t he dirt .

3.

Pl a c e t h e l i d o n t h e j a r a n d s h a k e t h e j a r t o m i x t h e d i r t a n d
w a t e r . De s c r i b e t h e r e s u l t :
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How w ould you predic t you c ould separat e t his m ix t ure of dirt
and w at er int o t he separat e part s again?
____________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________
Se t t h e j a r a s i d e a n d o b s e r v e w h a t i s h a p p e n i n g e v e r y 1 5
m inut es.

4.

5.

Tim e

De s c r i p t i o n

Wh y i t w o r k s ?????
A.

B.

Not ic e t hat t he dirt st art s set t ling t o t he bot t om of t he jar and t he

w a t e r s t a y s a t t h e t o p o f t h e j a r . Wh a t c a u s e s t h i s ?
____________________________________________________________________
This m et hod of separat ing m ix t ures is c alled sedim ent at ion.

Ph y s i c a l Sc i e n c e L a b s
Ch e m i s t r y : Se p a r a t i n g M i x t u r e s w i t h Fi l t r a t i o n
(Pr e c i p i t a t i o n )

St u f f y o u n e e d :
a b a r o f s o a p (c h i p p e d a n d m i x e d w i t h a c u p o f w a t e r ); s a l t ; Ep s o m
s a l t ; c o f f e e f i l t e r s ; p l a s t i c c u p s (c l e a r )

St e p s y o u d o :
1.

St a r t w i t h s i x p l a s t i c c u p s . L a b e l t w o c o n t r o l , t w o s a l t , a n d
t w o Ep s o m s a l t .

2.

Po u r 1 /4 c u p o f t h e s o a p y w a t e r i n t o o n e o f e a c h o f t h e t h r e e
t y p e s o f l a b e l e d c u p s (o n e c o n t r o l , o n e s a l t , o n e Ep s o m s a l t ).

3.

Add a t easpoon of salt t o t he soap and w at er m ix t ure labeled

s a l t .

4.

A d d a t e a s p o o n o f Ep s o m s a l t t o t h e s o a p a n d w a t e r m i x t u r e
l a b e l e d Ep s o m s a l t .

5.

St i r e a c h c u p w i t h a d i f f e r e n t s t r a w f o r a b o u t s i x t y s e c o n d s .

6.

Pl a c e c o f f e e f i l t e r s o v e r t h e t o p o f e a c h o f t h e t h r e e e m p t y
p l a s t i c c u p s . Pu s h t h e f i l t e r d o w n , l e a v i n g a b o u t 6 c e n t i m e t e r s
bet w een t he bot t om of t he filt er and t he bot t om of t he c up.

7.

Po u r t h e s a l t m i x t u r e i n t o t h e s a l t c u p w i t h t h e f i l t e r . Re p e a t
t h e s a m e f o r t h e Ep s o m s a l t m i x t u r e i n t o t h e Ep s o m s a l t c u p
w i t h t h e f i l t e r . Re p e a t t h e s a m e f o r t h e c o n t r o l c u p s .
Ob s e r v e w h a t c o m e s t h r o u g h t h e b o t t o m o f t h e f i l t e r i n t o t h e
c l e a r p l a s t i c c u p . De s c r i b e e a c h :
Sa l t :
Ep s o m s a l t :
Co n t r o l :

8.

9.

Ob s e r v e w h a t i s l e f t i n e a c h o f t h e f i l t e r s . De s c r i b e e a c h :
Sa l t :
Ep s o m s a l t :
Co n t r o l :

Wh y i t w o r k s ?????