Activity 3 Observing the Process of Filtration

Objectives
 To understand and explain the filtration process and the material being used
 To describe the ability of filtration to separate mixtures

Materials
 Laboratory Funnel  Laboratory Gown
 Erlenmeyer’s Flask  Gloves
 Filter Paper  Test tube rack
 Beaker  Test tube holder
 Stirring rod  Graduated cylinder
 Lugol’s Iodine  Solution containing mixture of uncooked
 Test tube starch, powdered charcoal and CuSo4

Procedure
1. Obtain the following equipment: a funnel; a piece of filter paper; a flask; a solution containing
uncooked starch, powdered charcoal, and copper sulphate, and a dropper bottle of Lugol’s
Iodine.
2. Fold the filter paper in half twice, open it into a cone, and place it in a funnel. Set the funnel on
the flask.
3. Shake the starch solution, and fill the funnel with it to just below the top of the filter paper.
When the steady stream of filtrate changes to countable filtrate drops, count
the number of drops formed in 10 seconds and record the
count._____16____ drops
4. When the funnel is half empty, again count the number of drops formed in
10 seconds and record the count._____24____ drops
5. After all the fluid has passed through the filter, check the filtrate and paper
to see which materials were retained by the paper. (Note: If the filtrate is
blue, the copper sulfate passed. Check both the paper and filtrate for black
particles to see if the charcoal passed. Finally, add Lugol’s iodine to a 2-ml
filtrate sample in a test tube. If the sample turns blue-
black when iodine is added, starch is present in the
filtrate.)

Passed: Filtrate blue in color Copper Sulfate

Retained: Black particles of charcoal

Discussion
The filter paper is a medium separation of solid particles from a mixture, with the most
filtering occurring in the second 10 seconds of counting. The drops are slower in the first 10
seconds, but faster in the second. The particles of the solute on the filter paper are black in color,
so the experimenters can tell that the solute does not pass through the filter
paper. As the experimenters check the filtrate fluid, there are no charcoal
particles seen, so the solute can be separated by filtration.

Conclusion
Filtration is essential for keeping things like water and chemicals
pure and free of contaminants, and can be used to separate solutes from
solutions and filtrate different liquids. Starch is not present in the filtrate since it does not change
its color to blue-black after adding Lugol’s iodine solution.
References

Austincc.edu. (n.d.). Retrieved from austincc.edu:

https://www.austincc.edu/sziser/Bio1724/2402%20Labs/2402%20Lab%20%20Membrane
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Elaine N. Marieb, R. P. (n.d.). Retrieved from

file:///C:/Users/user/Downloads/New%20folder/Human%20Anatomy%20&%20Physiology
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Hernandez, R. G. (n.d.). Retrieved from

file:///C:/Users/user/AppData/Local/Temp/MicrosoftEdgeDownloads/02713ea9-a4f5-4a98-b2f5-
939bd20eec25/1633119234-Osmosis_Diffusion_Lab.pdf

Marieb, E.N. (2004). Essentials of Human Anatomy and Physiology Laboratory Manual 2 nd
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