2 .

S e pa r at i o n T e c h n i q u e s Name & Surname Class

Direction for Learning

Zahra, B.Ed(Hons), St. Albert The Great College

Mark the following Statements as Before After

Lessons Lessons
True (T), False (F), or Unsure (U)

Boiling is a separation technique

Water can be obtained from a salt solution by evaporation

Salt can be obtained from a salt solution by evaporation

Sublimation is a separation technique

Filtration is used to obtain an insoluble solid from its mixture with a

liquid

The solid collected by filtration is called a filtrate

Water and alcohol can be separated by fractional distillation

Water and oil can be separated by fractional distillation

Water and oil are separated using a separating funnel

Fractional distillation can be used to obtain hydrogen and oxygen ele-

ments from pure water
GJ

Dyestuffs are separated by chromatography

A substance that boils at –20°C is a gas at room temperature

Separation Techniques pg. 1 GJ Zahra B.Ed (Hons)

 2.1 Mixtures

 Mixtures are formed when two or more substances are mixed together without a chemical reaction.
In this case the substances can be separated using physical separating techniques.
 When substances react chemically to form new compounds, such compounds cannot be divided by
the separation techniques discussed in this topic. They can only be separated by high temperatures
or electric currents.

Filtration
 Filtration is used to separate an
insoluble solid from a liquid. Such a
mixture is called a suspension.
 To separate this type of mixture, a filter
paper is used. A filter paper contains
holes which are big enough to allow the
liquid molecules to pass through but not
the solid particles.
 The solid collected in the filter paper is
called the residue.
 The liquid collected in the container is
called the filtrate.
 A conical flask is preferred to collect the
filtrate because it is less likely to tip over
and the slanting walls make splashing
difficult and swirling the liquid easy.

Examples of mixtures separated by filtration:

Separation Techniques pg. 2 GJ Zahra B.Ed (Hons)

 Evaporation
 Evaporation is used to separate a soluble
solid from a liquid. Such a mixture is called a
solution.
 In a solution, the solid is called the solute
and the liquid the solvent.
 The mixture is heated in an evaporating dish
or an evaporating basin.
 The solid collected in is called the evaporate.
 The solvent is lost.
 To collect heat sensitive substances (usually
crystals), heating is stopped when a little
solvent is remaining and the solute is let to
crystallize by itself.
 Instead of direct heating on a flame, a water
bath can be used for more gentle heating.
Examples of mixtures separated by evaporation:

Sublimation
 Sublimation is used to separate a solid that
sublimes from one that does not.
 The subliming vapour is turned back to solid
on a cold surface.

Examples of mixtures separated by sublimation:

Separation Techniques pg. 3 GJ Zahra B.Ed (Hons)

 Distillation
 Distillation is used to obtain both solvent
and solute from a solution
 The evaporated solvent is passed through a
condenser so that it condenses back into a
liquid.
 The collected liquid is called the distillate.
 The water in the condenser flows from top
to bottom so that all of the inner tube is
surrounded with water.
 A thermometer is placed above the solution
so that the temperature of the vapour only
is read.

Examples of mixtures separated by distillation

Separating Funnel
 This apparatus is used to separate to
immiscible liquids.
 The mixture is put in the separating funnel
and let to separate. The tap of the funnel is
opened so that the lower liquid is collected
in a suitable container.
Examples of mixtures separated using a separating
funnel

Separation Techniques pg. 4 GJ Zahra B.Ed (Hons)

 Fractional Distillation
 Fractional distillation is used to separate two miscible liquids with different boiling points.
 A fractionating column provides ‘obstacles’ for the vapours so that these are better separated.
 The thermometer reads the temperature of the vapour passing through the condenser.
 When one substance has been collected, the temperature reading will begin to rise. At this point the
container collecting the distillate must be changed in order to collect the second distillate in a clean
container.
Examples of mixtures separated by fractional distillation:

Separation Techniques pg. 5 GJ Zahra B.Ed (Hons)

 Chromatography
 Chromatography is used to separate soluble
dyestuffs.
 A drop or two of the substance if put on a
chromatogram.
 The chromatogram is placed in a jar with a
suitable solvent.
 As the solvent is absorbed by the
chromatogram, it carries the soluble parts of
the dyestuff with it. The most soluble parts
move further up the chromatogram.
 Different solvents give different results.
Examples of mixtures separated by chromatography:

Gas Mixtures
 Gas/gas mixtures where one gas liquefies
easily can be passed through a U-tube
submerged in ice salt.
 Where water vapour needs to be removed,
the mixture is passed through a drying agent
such as calcium chloride.
 In industry, gas/gas mixtures are liquefied
and then fractionally distilled. This is how air
is separated in a process called fractional
distillation of liquid air.

Examples of mixtures a gas/gas mixture than can be

separated in this way.

Separation Techniques pg. 6 GJ Zahra B.Ed (Hons)