Name _______________________ Class _________________ Date __________

Inquiry DATASHEET FOR IN-TEXT LAB

Mixture Separation
The ability to separate and recover pure substances from mixtures is extremely
important in scientific research and industry. Chemists need to work with pure
substances, but naturally occurring materials are seldom pure. Often, differences
in the physical properties of the components in a mixture provide the means for
separating them. In this experiment, you will have an opportunity to design,
develop, and implement your own procedure for separating a mixture. The
mixture you will work with contains salt, sand, iron filings, and poppy seeds. All
four substances are in dry, granular form.

OBJECTIVES
 Observe the chemical and physical properties of a mixture.
 Relate knowledge of chemical and physical properties to the task of purifying
the mixture.
 Analyze the success of methods of purifying the mixture.

MATERIALS
 aluminum foil  Table plate
 cotton balls  plastic forks
 water  plastic spoons
 filter funnels  plastic straws
 filter paper  sample of mixture and
 magnet components (sand, iron paper
 paper clips clips, salt, poppy seeds)
 paper towels  tissue paper
 transparent tape

PREPARATION
Your task will be to plan and carry out the separation of a mixture. Before you
can plan your experiment, you will need to investigate the properties of each
component in the mixture. The properties will be used to design your mixture
separation.

Original content Copyright © by Holt, Rinehart and Winston. Additions and changes to
the original content are the responsibility of the instructor.
1
Name _______________________ Class _________________ Date __________
Mixture Separation continued

PROCEDURE
1. Obtain separate samples of each of the four mixture components. Use the
equipment you have available to make observations of the components and
determine their properties. You will need to run several tests with each
substance, so don’t use all of your sample on the first test. Look for things like
whether the substance is magnetic, whether it dissolves, or whether it floats.
Record your observations in the Data Table.
2. Make a plan for what you will do to separate a mixture that includes the four
components from step 1. Review your plan with your teacher.
3. Obtain a sample of the mixture from your teacher. Using the equipment you
have available, run the procedure you have developed.

DISPOSAL
4. Clean your lab station. Clean all equipment and return it to its
proper place. Dispose of chemicals and solutions in the containers
designated by your teacher. Do not pour any chemicals down the
drain or throw anything in the trash unless your teacher directs you to do so.
Wash your hands thoroughly after all work is finished and before you leave
the lab.

Data Table
Properties Sand Iron filings Salt Poppy seeds
Dissolves
Floats
Magnetic
Other

Analysis
1. Evaluating Methods On a scale of 1 to 10, how successful were you in
separating and recovering each of the four components: sand, salt, iron filings,
and poppy seeds? Consider 1 to be the best and 10 to be the worst. Justify
your ratings based on your observations.

Original content Copyright © by Holt, Rinehart and Winston. Additions and changes to
the original content are the responsibility of the instructor.
2
Name _______________________ Class _________________ Date __________
Mixture Separation continued

Conclusions
1. Evaluating Methods How did you decide on the order of your procedural
steps? Would any order have worked?

2. Designing Experiments If you could do the lab over again, what would
you do differently? Be specific.

3. Designing Experiments Name two materials or tools that weren’t

available that might have made your separation easier.

4. Applying Ideas: For each of the four components, describe a specific

physical property that enabled you to separate the component from the rest of
the mixture.

Original content Copyright © by Holt, Rinehart and Winston. Additions and changes to
the original content are the responsibility of the instructor.
3
Name _______________________ Class _________________ Date __________
Mixture Separation continued

EXTENSIONS
1. Evaluating Methods What methods could be used to determine the purity
of each of your recovered components?

2. Designing Experiments How could you separate each of the following

two-part mixtures?
a. aluminum filings and iron filings

b. sand and gravel

c. sand and finely ground polystyrene foam

d. salt and sugar

e. alcohol and water

f. nitrogen and oxygen

Original content Copyright © by Holt, Rinehart and Winston. Additions and changes to
the original content are the responsibility of the instructor.
4
Name _______________________ Class _________________ Date __________
Mixture Separation continued

3. Designing Experiments One of the components of the mixture in this

experiment is in a different physical state at the completion of this experiment
than it was at the start. Which one? How would you convert that component
back to its original state?

Original content Copyright © by Holt, Rinehart and Winston. Additions and changes to
the original content are the responsibility of the instructor.
5