General Chemistry 1

Name: Ariana L. Ariola Block: STEM H Date: August 29, 2022_

“Separate Me”
Designing a Separation Method for a Mixture
Laboratory No. 1

I. Introduction
Most of the time, the substances that we see around us are not in their pure form. They
are basically a mixture of two or more substances, or a result of the combination of elements
and/or compounds. Mixtures come in different forms; they may be in solid, liquid, or gas forms.
Furthermore, mixtures can also be classified as homogeneous—wherein the mixture has a
uniform appearance and has the same properties and composition—or heterogeneous—
wherein the mixture is made up of more than one phase and its components are visibly
distinguishable from one another and can be physically separated.
The physical and chemical properties of these mixtures matter when they are separated.
There are several types of separation techniques that are used in separating a mixture of
substances, which include: winnowing, threshing, handpicking, sieving, distillation, evaporation,
filtration, sedimentation, magnetic separation, etc. We separate mixtures because they contain
substances that have different physical properties, or we want to remove all the unwanted
materials and obtain useful components.

II. Objectives
a) To be able to use properties of matter to identify substances and separate them.
b) To design a separation method for each mixture; to be able to answer the guide
questions and draw conclusions.

III. Materials

Sand Mixture Salt and Pepper Mixture Water and Sand

(Mixture A) (Mixture B) Mixture (Mixture c)
o Coarse sand o Salt and Pepper o Sand
o Fine sand o Cloth o Water
o Flat pan o Flat pan o Funnel
o Strainer o Spoon o Filter cloth
o Teaspoon o Measuring cup
o Container

IV. Procedure w/ Documentations

Sand Mixture (Sieving Method)

(1) Gather the needed materials
(2) Measure ½ cup for each of coarse and fine sand

(3) Mix the coarse and find sand in the strainer over a flat pan

(4) Start sieving

RESULT

[Mixture B1] Salt and Pepper Mixture (Magnetic Separation)

(1) Gather the needed materials

(2) Prepare 1 teaspoon for each of salt and pepper

(3) Mix salt and pepper in a flat pan

(4) Rub spoon on a cloth

(5) Place the spoon over the mixture

RESULT

[Mixture B2] Salt and Pepper Mixture (Handpicking Method)

(1) Gather the needed materials

(2) Prepare 1 teaspoon for each of salt and pepper

(3) Mix salt and pepper in a flat pan

(4) Separate the mixture by handpicking

RESULT

Sand and Water MIxture (Filtration or Sedimentation)

(1) Gather the needed materials

(2) Measure ½ cup of sand and 1 cup of water

(3) Mix in a container and wait for the sand to sink

 (4) Place the funnel over a container, then place the filter cloth inside the funnel

(5) Pour the mixture into the funnel

RESULT

V. Answers to Guide Question

Q1: Explain why you chose the steps you did for each substance.
I chose the appropriate order of steps to be followed based on the properties of the
substances and the separation method to be used. It is essential to come up with the
correct sequence of steps to achieve the right outcome. Like how the filter cloth should
be placed first inside the funnel before pouring the mixture for filtration. If I had not come
up with the right order of steps, I would not have been able to separate the mixture.

Q2: Was your procedure successful?

No. While the mixtures A, B2 (Salt and Pepper Mixture, Handpicking Method), and C were
successful, the procedure for mixture B1 was not a success. I was not able to separate
the salt from the pepper with the magnetic separation method.

Q3: Does one separation technique applicable to all mixtures? Explain your
answer.
One separation technique is not applicable to all mixtures. Mixtures come in different
forms; they may be in solid, liquid, or gas forms, or they are homogeneous or
heterogeneous mixtures, etc. Each of the mixtures requires different separation methods.

VI. Conclusions
After performing the activity, I can conclude that:
❖ Different matter of substances can be formed as a mixture. These mixtures may come
as homogeneous or heterogenous.
❖ Some of the separated mixtures are not the exact same substance after they have
been separated.
❖ Physical separation methods can be used to separate the parts of mixtures that have
been physically mixed.
❖ Mixtures can be separated using a variety of techniques, however not all mixtures of
substances have the same separation methods.