PROBLEM: CAN GRADE 9 STUDENTS SEPARATE A MIXTURE OF SALT , IRON FILINGS, SAND, AND PAPERCLIPS WITH 100% ACCURACY

? INTRODUCTION : OUR MIXTURE IS A MIXTURE OF SAND, SALT, IRON FILINGS AND PAPERCLIPS. THERE ARE UNKNOWN AMOUNTS OF THESE COMPONENTS PRESENT IN THE MIXTURE . T HE SAND IS NOT PURELY SAND, AND THERE MAY BE OTHER SUBSTANCES INSIDE THE SAND , LIKE MAGNETIC OR SOLUBLE SUBSTANCES THAT WILL INFLUENCE THE MEASUREMENTS OF OUR OTHER SUBSTANCES. T HE SALT IT SEA SALT , POSSIBLY CONTAMINATED WITH OTHER MATERIALS AND SOLUBLE . T HE I RON FILINGS APPEAR TO BE LEGITIMATE IRON FILINGS , WITH MAGNETIC PROPERTIES, AND THE PAPERCLIPS AS WELL . T HE MIXTURE IS HETEROGENEOUS, AND IS A MIXTURE BECAUSE THE SUBSTANCES ARE NOT CHEMICALLY COMBINED , BUT STILL MIXED TOGETHER. WE CHOSE THE OUR SPECIFIC METHODS OF SEPARATION BECAUSE THEY WERE RELATIVELY EASY TO DO , WE HAD THE MATERIALS TO DO THEM , AND IF ALL WENT WELL , WE SHOULD HAVE HAD A 100% ACCURATE SCORE FOR EACH SUBSTANCE AT THE END OF THE LAB . HYPOTHESIS : A MIXTURE OF SALT , SAND, IRON FILINGS AND PAPERCLIPS CAN BE SEPARATED BY STUDENTS IN GRADE 9 WITH OVER 90% ACCURACY USING MAGNETIC SEPARATION , SORTING BY HAND , FILTRATION AND EVAPORATION BECAUSE THEY ARE CAPABLE OF COMPLETING ALL THE STEPS TO THIS SEPARATION EXPERIMENT TO AN EXTENT THAT THEY ARE ABLE TO COMPLETE THE ABOVE . MATERIALS: THE MIXTURE CONTAINS : 1. SALT 25G 2. SAND 35 3. IRON FILINGS 10G 4. PAPERCLIPS 14G FILTER PAPER HOLDING STAND FUNNEL STIRRING ROD 3 X 200ML GLASS BEAKER 2 X 100ML PLASTIC BEAKER HOTPLATE 500ML TAP WATER METHOD:

1. PICK OUT THE PAPERCLIPS BY HAND, AND BE CAREFUL TO SCRAPE OFF ANY MAGNETIC IRON FILINGS . 2. FILTER THE IRON FILINGS FROM THE MIXTURE USING A MAGNET 3. FILTER OVER AND OVER AGAIN WITH THE MAGNET TO CONTINUOUSLY REDUCE SALT AND SAND CONCENTRATION IN THE IRON FILINGS . 4. ADD WATER TO THE REMAINING SAND AND SALT MIXTURE 5. USE A FUNNEL AND FILTER PAPER TO FILTER OUT THE SAND FROM THE SALT WATER. 6. PLACE THE BEAKER WITH SALT WATER (FILTERED) ONTO A HOTPLATE AND HEAT IT UP UNTIL IT BOILS. 7. REFRESH THE FILTER PAPER ONCE IN A WHILE , AND SCRAPE OF THE SAND TO PUT IN A BEAKER. 8. MOVE THE FILTERING FUNNEL ONTO A STAND ABOVE THE HEATED BEAKER, SO FILTERING CONTINUES. 9. AFTER ALL THE SAND AND