LESSON 4: SEPARATING MIXTURES

INTRODUCTION
Combining two or more materials or substances together is called mixtures. Practically, we do a lot
of mixtures at home especially in the kitchen. Like, when preparing or cooking foods, we do a lot of mixing.
But there are times that we need to separate the components of the mixtures for some reason.

DIFFERENT SEPARATION TECHNIQUES

1. FILTRATION
• This technique is used to separate materials on the basis of
differences in size.
• Any material that is used to separate them is called filter. The liquid
that has been collected after passing through the filtering device is
called filtrate while the materials left on the filter is called residue.

2. EVAPORATION AND BOILING

• In evaporation, the only particles with enough energy to evaporate
are the ones in the surface which are exposed to the source of heat
such as sunlight.
• All liquid particles in boiling have enough energy to transform from
liquid to gas. At the end of both processes, the solid materials are left
in the container. Collecting salt from sea water is a simple application

3. DECANTATION
• This technique is used to separate heavy solid particles and liquid.
The heavy solid particles must be settled at the bottom of the
container before pouring out or collecting the liquid. An example
application of this process is when you wash your rice before
cooking.

4. DISTILLATION
• This technique is used when the components of the mixture differ in
volatility. For example, alcohol solution.
• Since alcohol has lower volatility or boiling point with water the
former will first evaporate leaving the latter in the flask. The
evaporated alcohol will pass through the condenser to transform it
into liquid alcohol again. The alcohol will be received by another
flask.

5. SUBLIMATION
• This technique can be used to remove or separate sublimable
substances from the components of the mixture with the application
of heat.
• If you wish to separate ammonium chloride and table salt, you may
put the mixture inside the test tube and heat it. You will notice that
the table salt particles will remain at the bottom while the particles of
ammonium chloride will be stuck at the edge of the test tube.
6. CHROMATOGRAPHY
• This technique is used to separate components with different
solubility dissolved in a fluid, either gas or liquid
• Let us have the root extract of a plant as an example. One ml of
extract is dropped in the chromatography paper. After few minutes
the components of the extract such as anthocyanin, chlorophylls,
flavonoid and carotenoids start to move through the paper at
different rates.

7. USE OF SEPARATORY FUNNNEL

• This technique can be done to separate immiscible materials like oil
and water

8. Use of MAGNETS
• Ferromagnetic materials such as nickel, iron, cobalt and magnet
can be separated from other nonmagnetic components with the use
of another magnet.