Separation Techniques Key Revision

Facts

Filtration
 Filtration will separate insoluble solids
from liquids.
 The solution is poured through the
equipment to the right 
 The liquid is small enough to pass
through the holes in the filter paper.
 The solid particles are too big to fit
through the holes so stays at the top.
 E.g. sand in water – the water passes
through the holes in the filter paper and the sand stays at the top.

Evaporation / Crystallisation
 A solution of a liquid and a soluble solid is heated,
the liquid evaporates (from a liquid to gas), and solid
crystals are left behind.
 e.g. salt water – the water evaporates and the
salt is left behind in the evaporating dish. ONLY

the salt is collected.

Distillation
 Distillation can be used to obtain pure water from salt
water.
 Salt water is heated up until it starts to boil. The
water molecules gain energy and evaporation (from
liquid to gas). The water vapour travels down the
condenser, it is then cooled and condenses (from gas to
liquid). The water is then collected. The salt is left
 behind in the flask and the water is collected in the
flask.
 Both the salt AND water are collected using this
method.
Chromatography
 Chromatography can be used to find
out which compounds are in a certain
colour of dye or ink.
Method
 draw a pencil line across the paper, 1-
2 cm from the bottom
 use a pipette to add small spots of
each ink or dye to the line on the paper
 place the paper into a container with a suitable solvent in the bottom
 allow the solvent to move through the paper, but remove the chromatogram before it
reaches the top
 allow the chromatogram to dry, then measure the distance travelled by each spot and
by the solvent
Retention factors (Rf)
This factor is used to compare chromatograms with different
solvent fronts. Calculating the Rf values allows different
samples to be compared.

If two substances have the same Rf value, they are not

necessarily the same compound. If they have different R f values, they are definitely
different compounds.

Either colour each square Red, Amber or Green or put a tick in each row to indicate how
confident you feel with each statement.

I can R A G

I can explain what type of substances filtration can separate.

I can draw and label filtration equipment.

I can give 2 examples when filtration is useful.

I can explain how evaporation can be used to separate mixtures.

I can label a distillation diagram.

I can explain how distillation can be used to obtain drinking water from
salt water.
I can explain how chromatography can be used to separate food
colourings or dyes.

Separation Techniques Test Yourself 1

Separation technique naming
Label each of the separation techniques pictured below.

Distillation
The apparatus  shows the apparatus to carry out
distillation. Number the sentences to explain how

The water starts to boil and steam is

produced.

The pure water drips into the conical flask.

1 The salt water is heated.

The steam travels through the condenser.

As the steam travels along the condenser it

cools down and forms a liquid.
distillation works.

True or False?
State whether the following statement are true or false.
  Chromatography is used by forensic scientists. ___________

 When a substance dissolves, it is correct to say it disappears. ___________

 A saturated solution will not allow any more solute to dissolve in it. ___________

 Filtration will separate a soluble and insoluble substance. ___________

 Water is the only solvent. ___________

Filtration
Use the following words to label the apparatus: residue, filtrate, insoluble, solid and liquid.

Key Words Word Search

 INSOLUBLE SATURATED SOLUBLE

SOLUTE SOLUBILITY SOLUTION

SOLVENT

Rock Salt
Rock salt is a mixture of rock and salt. Number the sentences to state how the salt can be
separated from the pieces of rock.

The salt will dissolve.

Pour the salt water into an evaporating dish and heat gently

1 Add warm water to the rock salt and stir.

The water will evaporate and the salt crystals will appear in the
evaporating dish.
Filter the mixture, the salt solution will collect in the beaker and the
pieces of rock will collect in the filter paper.

Filtration Missing Vowels

  r_s_d_ _

 f_ltr_t_

 _ns_l_bl_

 s_l_bl_

 l_q_ _d

Problem solving
You are given a bucket of sandy sea water. Your job is to get as much clean salt as possible
from the sandy liquid.

Arrange these sentences in the correct order so they best describe how you would do the
experiment.
(i) put the filtrate into an evaporating basin
(ii) collect salt from the evaporating basin
(iii) filter the sandy mixture
(iv) heat the evaporating basin until all the water has gone
(v) put filter paper in the filter funnel

Give one safety precaution that you should take when doing your experiment.

_________________________________________________________________

_________________________________________________________________

Evaporating, filtering and distilling are 3 methods of separating mixtures.

Which method would be best to use to
a) get salt from sea water ______________________

b) get drinking water from sea water ______________________

c) get clean water from muddy water ______________________

Separation Techniques Exam Style Qs
1) Distillation is a method that can be used to obtain drinking water from a sample of salt
water. Two different examples of distillation apparatus are shown below.

a) Which apparatus A or B will produce the drinking water the quickest? _______

Give a reason for your choice. _____________________________________

____________________________________________________________

____________________________________________________________

____________________________________________________________

b) Using the following key words, explain how distillation works. Key words: boils,

cools, condenses, steam.

____________________________________________________________

____________________________________________________________

____________________________________________________________

____________________________________________________________

____________________________________________________________

2) Paper chromatography can be used to identify dissolved substances, for example in

food colourings. Explain how it works. ____________________________________

________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________
3) In the space below, draw and label the apparatus required to separate a soluble
substance from an insoluble substance.

4) A different type of chromatography was used to examine 4 different colours of ink.

Compete the table below to show the results.
5) A student used paper chromatography to identify the colours in a black ink.

a) What colours are in the black ink?

__________________________

__________________________

b) Suggest which colour is least soluble

in the solvent. Give a reason for your

answer. ______________________

_____________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________

c) Calculate the Rf value for the green colour.

Use the equation:

_____________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________

6) A student used paper chromatography to

investigate the colours in different inks.

The student made two mistakes in

setting up the apparatus.

a) Identify the two mistakes and

describe the problem each mistake

would cause.

Mistake 1 _______________________________________________________

Problem ________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________
 Mistake 2 _______________________________________________________

Problem ________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________

The student then set up the apparatus

without making any mistakes.
b) How can you tell from Figure 2 that the Rf
value for the blue ink is greater than the Rf

value for the red ink?

_______________________________

______________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________

7) The apparatus in the figure below is used to

separate a mixture of liquids in a fuel.
a) What is apparatus W on above the figure
above? Tick one box.

Beaker

Boiling Tube

Flask

Jug

b) What is the name of this method of Crystallisation

separation? Tick one box.
Electrolysis

Filtration

Distillation

c) Name the changes of state taking place at A and B in the figure above. Use words from
the box.

boiling condensing freezing melting

  Change of state at A _____________________

 Change of state at B _____________________

 A student measured the melting point of a substance four times.

  Trial 1 Trial 2 Trial 3 Trial 4

Melting point in °C 35 48 37 37

d)
Calculate the mean melting point of the hydrocarbon, leaving out the

anomalous result. Give your answer to two significant figures.

________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________

Mean melting point ______________ °C

8) Race horses may be given drugs to

improve their perfomance in races. This
is illegal in the UK. After races, urine
samples are collected from the horses.
These samples are tested for drugs.
Chromatography is one of the tests used
to identify drugs in urine. The diagram
shows a chromatogram.

a) How do we know that sample 1 was a

pure sample of caffeine? ________

___________________________

__________________________________________________________

b) Calculate the Rf value for cocaine. Give your answer to 2 significant figures.
Use information from the diagram. Use
 the equation:

__________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________

Rf value of cocaine = ____________________

c) Give three conclusions about the urine sample from the horse. Use
information from the diagram.
1) _____________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________

2) _____________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________

3) _____________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________