GRADE 7

SCIENCE
Separation
Techniques
Discuss with a partner
how you would separate
the following mixtures…
Ø  Salt water Ø  Vegetable oil and
Ø  Muddy water sand
Ø  Nuts and bolts Ø  Vegetable oil and

Ø  Iron filings and sand water

Ø  Salt and pepper

Be prepared to defend
your answers!
DISCUSSION
QUESTION
Are the components you have
separated still mixtures, or are
they pure?

Why or why not?

SEPARATING
MECHANICAL
MIXTURES
Sorting

 
¢   separa'ng  substances  based  on  appearance  
(colour,  size,  texture)  

¢   some  recycling  programs  require  the  driver  

to  separate  glass,  plas'c,  and  paper  
Floatation and Settling

 
¢   allow  heavier  materials  to  se=le  
to  the  bo=om  of  a  liquid  and  
extract  them  with  a  tool  

¢   if  a  substance  is  light  enough,  it  

will  float  to  the  top  of  a  liquid  and  
a  tool  can  be  used  to  skim  it  from  
the  surface  
Sifting

 
¢   separa'ng  solids  by  size  

¢   involves  passing  solid  materials  through  a  

screen  or  mesh  
 
¢  parts  that  are  small  enough  to  pass  through  are  separated  
from  larger  ones  that  can t  fit  through  

¢  different  than  filtra'on    

—  filtra'on  is  used  to  separate  solids  from  liquids  or  gases  
—  siCing  separates  solids  from  other  solids  
 MAGNETISM
 
¢   some  metals  are  
magne'c  because  their  
component  par'cles  are  
a=racted  to  the  par'cles  
within  magnets  

¢  A  magnet  can  be  used  to  

separate  magne'c  
materials  (iron,  steel)  
from  others  (plas'c  
dashboards,  rubber  'res)  
SEPARATING
SOLUTIONS
Filtration

 
¢  separa'ng  solids  from  liquids  or  gases  

¢  when  solu'on  is  poured  through  filter,  solid  parts  are  
trapped,  and  liquid  or  gas  pass  through  

 
¢  if  the  solid  is  small  enough,  it  
may  s'll  pass  through  the  filter  

¢   ex:  salt  dissolved  in  water  

 Coffee filter Oil filter

Colander
Furnace filter
EVAPORATION:
¢ Change of state from a
liquid to a gas.
¢ Used to recover a solid
solute from a solution.
DISTILLATION:
¢  Usestwo changes of state:
evaporation and
condensation.

¢  It
allows you to recover
BOTH the solute and
solvent from a solution.

¢  Solution
is boiled, which vaporizes the solvent and
separates it from the solute

¢  Gas condenses on a cool surface and is collected

INDUSTRIAL DISTILLATION TOWER
 SEPARATION
TECHNIQUES IN THE
HOME:
¢ Colanders
¢ Clothes dryers
¢ Window screens
¢ Coffee percolators
¢ Salad spinners
Any others?
 SEPARATION
TECHNIQUES IN
INDUSTRY:
¢ Colanders
¢ Clothes dryers
¢ Window screens
¢ Coffee percolators
¢ Salad spinners
Any others?