Chapter 3: Separating Substances

Q1. Name the different methods of separation.

The various methods of separation are as follows.

1. Threshing: This process is used to separate grains or seeds from the stalk by beating
the crops on hard surface or with the help of machines.
2. Winnowing: It is the process used to separate grains from chaff by blowing air
through them or by allowing the wind to blow through them.
3. Hand-picking: When a small number of impure particles are present in a small
quantity of a mixture, and the impure particles are distinguishable from the useful
substance, they can be separated by hand-picking.
4. Sieving: Small substances pass through the pores of a sieve, but large impurities
remain in the sieve. Thus, the difference in the sizes of the impurities and the useful
material helps in this method of separation known as sieving.
5. Sedimentation and decantation: Separating insoluble solids suspended in a liquid by
settling them is called sedimentation. After sedimentation is complete, the upper
liquid, which is pure, is poured out without disturbing the sediment. This process is
known as decantation.
6. Filtration: In this process, an insoluble solid and a liquid in a mixture can be separated
by passing the mixture through a filtering device.
7. Evaporation and condensation: Heating a mixture of a liquid and a soluble solid
change the liquid into gas by evaporation, leaving behind the solid. The vapours of the
liquid change back into the liquid state after coming in touch with a cold surface (by
the process of condensation), thereby separating the soluble solid and the liquid in the
original mixture.

Q2. When can sieving be done?

Ans. Sieving can be done when the components of a mixture are of different sizes. The
smaller size particles pass through the pores of the sieve and the larger components
remains in the sieve. This method is used in homes to separate wheat bran from flour and
in construction sites to separate stones and pebbles from sand.

Q3. Why is it not advisable to sieve wheat flour?

Ans. It is not advisable to sieve wheat flour because, on sieving, wheat bran, which is rich in
nutrients and fibre, is removed. It is better to hand-pick and remove the impurities.

Q4. Differentiate between sedimentation and decantation.

Sedimentation
Sedimentation is the process by
which insoluble solids suspended in
a liquid are separated by allowing
them to settle.
Decantation
Decantation is the process of
pouring out the clear upper liquid
from a solution without disturbing
the sediments.

Separating Substance Notes: - P

Q5. What is filtration? Give two common examples of filtration.

Ans. Filtration is the process of separating insoluble solid impurities from a liquid by passing
it through a filtering device. Insoluble solid particles are retained in the filtering device but
the liquid passes through it.
Examples: Filtration of tea leaves after preparation of tea using a strainer, and filtration of
water to remove solid impurities.

Q6. How is a solute different from the solvent? Give two examples of a common solute.

Ans. A solute is the substance that dissolves, and a solvent is the substance in which the
solute dissolves to form a solution. Examples of two common solutes are salt and sugar,
which dissolve in water.

Q7. What is threshing? Explain the ways in which threshing is commonly done.

Ans. The process of beating harvested crops to separate the grains from the stalks (the dried
stems) is called threshing. Threshing is of two types: manual threshing and threshing using
machines.
Manual threshing is done by holding a bundle of crops and beating it on a hard surface. This
process loosens and separates the grains from the stalk. Sometimes, threshing is also done by
crushing stalks under the feet of bullocks. Threshing can also be done by using machines
such as the combine harvester.

Q8. What is winnowing? How is it done?

Ans. Threshed grains may still contain seed coverings and tiny pieces of leaves or stem
collectively called chaff, which is removed by winnowing. Winnowing is a method by which
chaff is removed from the grains by blowing air or wind through them.
In winnowing, the grain and chaff mixture is taken in a winnowing basket. The mixture is
allowed to fall to the ground from a height. The chaff, being lighter than the grains, is easily
carried away by the wind, allowing the chaff to form a separate heap from the grains. In this
process, the direction of the wind plays an important role.

Q9. What is hand picking? When is this method used?

Ans. Hand-picking is a method of separation by which impurities that are different from the
useful material in a mixture are hand-picked and removed. For example, rice, wheat, pulses,
etc., contain impurities such as small stones or unwanted grains. These impurities look
different from the useful material and are easily hand-picked and removed.
This method is used when these following conditions are fulfilled.

1. The quantity of the mixture is small.

2. The unwanted material is present in smaller quantities.
3. The size, shape and colour of the impurities are different from those of the useful
substance.

Separating Substance Notes: - P

Q9. Define saturated solution. How would you prepare a saturated solution of sugar in
water?

Ans. A saturated solution is a solution in which no more of the solute can be dissolved.
A saturated solution of sugar in water can be prepared by continuously adding spoonsful of
sugar to water and stirring the solution each time to dissolve the sugar crystals. After some
time, some grains of the sugar will be left at the bottom and does not dissolve in the water
even after stirring. This solution is called a saturated solution of sugar.

Q10. How can the solubility of a substance be increased?

Ans. The solubility of a solute can be increased by the following ways:

1. Heating: The solubility of a solute increases on heating the solution. For example,
more sugar can be dissolved in hot water than in cold water.
2. Stirring: Stirring will dissolve more solute in a solvent. Here is an example. Add sugar
to water in two glasses. Letting one solution remain undisturbed, stir the other. More
sugar dissolves in the glass that is stirred.
3. Solute in powdered form: Powdered solute dissolves more than the solute in crystal
form. For example, crushed sugar dissolves more in water than sugar cubes.

Q11.What is decantation?

Ans. Decantation is a process of separating insoluble solids from liquids. A suspension of

solid particles in liquid is allowed to stand for some time. Solid particles settle down at the
bottom, due to their weight.
This is called sedimentation. The clean water is transferred into another beaker, without
disturbing the settled particles. This type of separation is called decantation.

Decantation is used to separate insoluble solids from liquids. Two immiscible liquids are also
separated by this process.

Q12. What is filtration?

Ans. When one component of a mixture is soluble in water and other component is insoluble
in water, the soluble component gets dissolved and insoluble one is separated by filtering the
solution.

Separating Substance Notes: - P

The process by which insoluble substance can be separated from a solution, by passing that
solution through a porous paper (filter paper) is called filtration. During filtration, the solid
insoluble substance is retained at the filter paper as residue while the liquid free from any
suspended matter passes through the filter paper and is collected as filtrate. This filtrate may
be warmed to dry to obtain soluble component.

Q13. How will you Separate a mixture of common salt and chalk powder?

Ans. We know that common salt is soluble in water while chalk is sparingly, soluble. So, on
the basis of different solubility, we can separate the common salt and chalk powder as
follows:
1. First, some water is mixed with the mixture of common salt and chalk powder, stir the
solution well. Filter the solution by using filter paper. On filtering, chalk powder is obtained
as a residue on the filter paper and salt solution is obtained.

2. Now filtrate is evaporated and dry common salt is left behind.

Q14. Is it possible to separate sugar mixed with wheat flour? If yes, how will you do it?
Solution:
Yes, it is possible to separate sugar mixed with wheat flour by the following method
a) Mix sugar and wheat flour in water
b) Stir the solution to allow sugar to dissolve
c) Now filter the mixture
d) Filtrate contains sugar solution and residue will be wheat flour.
Q15. What is loading?
Ans. Loading is the process in which alum particles are deposited on suspended clay particles
of muddy water to make them heavy and settle down rapidly.

Separating Substance Notes: - P

Q16. What is distillation?
Ans. Distillation is the process of heating water to form water vapor, and then cooling the hot
water vapour to get back liquid water.

1. Heat the solution to the boiling point of the liquid in a beaker.

2. While boiling, the liquid turns into vapour. The vapour is directed through the condenser
connected to another beaker.
3. The vapour cools down by running cold water around the tubes as it goes through the
cubes.
4. The temperature of the vapour falls, causing the gas to turn into liquid again
(Condensation)
5. The liquid is pure at this point, as the salt is left behind.
6. The distilled liquid is called a ‘Distillate’
7. The process continues until all the liquid in the solution turns into vapour, leaving the salt
residue.
Q17. How will you separate a mixture of iron filings, chalk powder and common salt?
a. Bring a magnet near this mixture several times. All the iron filings will stick to the
magnet and get separated.
b. We are then left with a mixture of chalk powder and common salt
c. On filtering, chalk powder is obtained as a residue on the filter paper and salt solution
is obtained as filtrate.
d. The salt solution is evaporated when pure common salt is left behind
Q18. What are the types of solution?

Separating Substance Notes: - P

 1. An unsaturated solution is the solution in which no more of the solute can be
dissolved.
2. A saturated solution is the solution in which more of the solute can dissolve at a
particular temperature.
3. A supersaturated solution contains more dissolved solute than required for preparing
a saturated solution. Excess dissolved solute crystallizes by seeding supersaturated
solution with a few crystals of the solute.
Q19. What is sieving?
Ans. Sieving is a method of separation in which the mixture is passed through a filter or a
sieve. Sieving is used in a flour mill to separate impurities like husk and stones from wheat
before grinding it.
Q10. How is common salt obtained from seawater?
Ans. When seawater is allowed to evaporate in shallow pits, water gets heated by sunlight
and changes into water vapour by the process of evaporation leaving behind impure solid
salts. Now, the lumps of impure common salt are crushed to get powdered salt. The powdered
common salt is dissolved in water to prepare a solution. Now the solution of common salt is
filtered to remove insoluble impurities. The clear solution is evaporated by heating to remove
the water content to obtain a concentrated solution of common salt. The hot and concentrated
solution is allowed to cool. On cooling, crystallization takes place and crystals of pure
common salt are obtained.

Separating Substance Notes: - P

Separating Substance Notes: - P