AQA GCSE

Chemistry Separating
Mixtures

Sorrel Bifield
COMBI CLASSROOM
http://www.combiclassroom.co.uk
About the Booklets
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Table of Contents
Purity & Separating Mixtures .................................................................................. 3
Filtration

Evaporation (Crystallisation)

Distillation & Fractional Distillation

Chromatography (Rf value)

Required Practical: Separation Techniques .......................................................... 11

AQA GCSE Chemistry .............................................................................................. 13
AQA GCSE Combined Science: Trilogy Chemistry Paper........................................ 18
AQA GCSE Chemistry .............................................................................................. 20
Exam Question Answers ......................................................................................... 22

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Purity and Separating Mixtures

All substances are made up of atoms. An atom is the smallest part of an element
that can exist.

A mixture consists of two or more elements or compounds not chemically joined

together.

In chemical terms elements and compounds are pure substances and mixtures are
impure substances.

Many useful materials we use today are mixtures. There are many methods of
separating mixtures including filtration, crystallisation, distillation, and
chromatographic techniques.

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Filtration

FILTRATION will separate an insoluble solute from a solvent.

Solute in filter paper

Solvent

For example, sand and water. The sand is insoluble in water so filtration will
capture the sand in the filter paper and the water will move through the filter
paper into the beaker.

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Evaporation (Crystallisation)

EVAPORATION (Crystallisation) will separate a soluble solute from a solvent.

For example, salt and water. The salt is soluble in water. As the salt water is
heated the water particles gain energy and turn into a gas. The gas evaporates
into the surroundings and the salt remains in the evaporating basin.

Solvent evaporates

Solute remains in basin

heat

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Distillation

DISTILLATION will separate a soluble solute from a solvent but in this case the
solute and the solvent can be captured.

Distillation involves the evaporation of the solvent from the solute. As the steam
moves into the condenser it cools and condenses back to water and can be
captured into the beaker. The solute will remain in the round bottomed flask.

Distillation is ideal for separating substances that have boiling points that differ by
about 50oC. To separate substances with boiling points closer together fractional
distillation can be used.

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Fractional Distillation

FRACTIONAL DISTILLATION is the separation of a mixture into its component

parts, or fractions. Chemical compounds are separated by heating them to a
temperature at which one or more fractions of the mixture will vaporize.

When heated the vapours rise up the fractionating column. As they do so they
cool and condense.

Different fractions of the mixture will boil at different temperatures. With

fractional distillation it is possible to collect all the fractions as their boiling point is
reached.

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Chromatography

Paper chromatography is used to separate a mixture of two soluble substances. It

can be used to distinguish between pure and impure substances. Examples are
inks and food dyes.

Paper chromatography involves a stationary phase and a mobile phase. The

mobile phase is the solvent, and it is absorbed by the stationary phase, the
chromatography paper. As the mobile phase moves up the stationary phase the
solvent dissolves the ink and separates the colours.

The separation by chromatography produces a chromatogram.

Distance moved by
solvent (10 cm)

Distance moved by
substance (8 cm)

A pure substance will produce one spot on a chromatogram. An impure substance

will produce two or more spots on a chromatogram.

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Chromatography can be used to identify unknown substances by calculating an Rf
Value. The Rf value is calculated using the following formula:

Rf value = Distance travelled by substance

Distance travelled by solvent

For example, in the chromatogram above the Rf value of dye 3 can be calculated
as follows:

Rf value = 8
10

= 0.8

By knowing the Rf values of substances it is possible for us to identify those that

are unknown. If we have a “mystery’ sample, doing chromatography on that
sample will allow us to produce a chromatogram that will tell us:

a. If the sample is pure or impure

b. The Rf values of the substance
c. Compare the Rf values with those of known substances to identify what
the mystery substance is.

Thin layer chromatography is performed on a sheet of glass, plastic, or aluminium

foil, which is coated with a thin layer of adsorbent material, usually silica gel. It is
like paper chromatography, but the stationary phase is the silica gel.

Thin layer chromatography has the advantage of the mobile phase moving quicker
and more evenly through the stationary phase. It produces chromatograms which
show greater separation of the components making them easier to analyse.

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Gas chromatography is used to separate complex mixtures. It is a lot more
sensitive than thin layer chromatography and not only separates the samples for
identification but also informs how much of the substance there is.

In gas chromatography the mobile phase is an inert gas which is often helium. The
sample is injected into the sample port where it will be vaporized. The vaporized
samples that are injected are then carried by the inert gas (mobile phase) through
the stationary phase which is a column containing a very thin layer of an inert
liquid on an inert solid support - such as beads of silica.

Gas chromatography has many uses such as testing athletes’ urine for drugs,
identifying pollutants in water ways and many crime scene applications.

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Required Practical: Separation Techniques

Use of Chromatography to Identify the Mixtures of Dyes in an Unknown

Ink Sample

This activity will investigate how paper chromatography can be used to separate
and tell the difference between coloured substances.

• Draw a pencil line 1-2 cm from the bottom of the chromatography paper.
• Using a pipette add small spots of each coloured sample to be tested on
the pencil line.

Chromatography paper

Coloured substance

Pencil line

Solvent

• Place the chromatography paper into a beaker containing a suitable

solvent. Ensure that the pencil line is above the solvent surface.
• Observe as the solvent moves through the chromatogram and remove
from the beaker just before the solvent reaches the top.
• Allow chromatogram to dry.
• Measure the distance moved by the solvent and then the distance moved
by each spot of coloured substance.
• Record the results.
• Calculate the Rf value.
• Compare the Rf values of each substance along with the colours of each
spot in the coloured substance.
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• Describe their similarities and differences.

Some solvents can cause skin irritation and breathing difficulties.

Wear gloves and use a fume cupboard.

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AQA GCSE Chemistry
Foundation Tier Paper 2 Wednesday 13 June 2018

5 A student investigated the colours in three different flowers, A, B and C,

using paper chromatography.

The colours are soluble in ethanol but are insoluble in water.

This is the method used.

1. Place the ethanol in a beaker.

2. Add the flower.
3. Stir until the colours dissolve in the ethanol.
4. Filter the mixture.
5. Put spots of the coloured filtrate on the chromatography paper.

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a. The filtrate was a very pale coloured solution.

How could the student obtain a darker coloured solution?

Tick two boxes. [2 marks]

Crush the flower

Filter the mixture

Use a large beaker

Use more ethanol

Use more flowers

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b. Figure 2 shows the apparatus used.

Figure 2

Lid

Beaker

Chromatography paper

Start line in ink

A B C Water

What two mistakes did the student make in setting up the

apparatus?

Tick two boxes.

The paper does not touch the beaker

The start line is drawn in ink

The water level is below the start line

Uses a lid on the beaker

Uses water as the solvent

[2 marks]

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c. Another student sets up the apparatus correctly.

Figure 3 represents the student’s results.

Figure 3

A B C

What two conclusions can be made from Figure 3?

Tick two boxes.

Flower A contains a single pure colour

Flowers A and B contain the same colours

The colour in flower C is a mixture

He colour in flower B was the least soluble

Two of the colours have the same Rf value

[2 marks]

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d. The student records some measurements.

The measurements are:

• The colour from flower B moves 7.2 cm
• The solvent moves 9.0 cm

Calculate the Rf value for the colour from flower B.

Use the equation:

Rf = Distance moved by colour

Distance moved by solvent

Rf value ___________________

[2 marks]

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AQA GCSE Combine Science: Trilogy
Higher Tier Chemistry Paper 4 Specimen Material
5 Figure 9 shows a paper chromatogram of five different inks.

Figure 9

Solvent front

Start line

Blue ink Red ink Yellow ink Green ink Black ink

a. Explain how paper chromatography separates substances.

[3 marks]

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b. Analyse the chromatogram. Describe and explain the result for black ink.

[4 marks]

c. Use Figure 9 to calculate the Rf value of the blue ink.

Rf value = _________________________
[3 marks]

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AQA GCSE Chemistry
Higher Tier Paper 1 Specimen 2018
4 Rock salt is a mixture of sand and salt.

Salt dissolves in water. Sand does not dissolve in water.

Some students separated rock salt.

This is the method used:

1. Place the rock salt in a beaker

2. Add 100 cm3 of cold water
3. Allow the sand to settle to the bottom of the beaker
4. Carefully pour the salty water into an evaporating dish
5. Heat the content of the evaporating dish with a Bunsen burner until salt
crystals start to form.

a. Suggest one improvement to step 2 to make sure all the salt is dissolved
in the water.

[1 mark]

b. The salty water in step 4 still contained very small grains of sand.

Suggest one improvement to step 4 to remove all the sand.

[1 mark]

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c. Suggest one safety precaution the students should take in step 5.

[1 mark]

Another student removed water from salty water using apparatus in Figure 3.

Figure 3

B
Round bottomed flask

Salt water
Water

Heat

d. Describe how this technique works be referring to the processes at A and

B.

[2 marks]

e. What is the reading on the thermometer during this process?

___________________ oC
[1 mark]
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Exam Question Answers

• Page 13
Answer Marks
5a • Crush the flower 1
• Use more flowers 1
b • The start line is drawn in ink 1
• Uses water as the solvent 1
c • Flower A contains a single pure colour 1
• The colour in flower C is a mixture 1
d 7.2 1
9.0

= 0.8 1

• Page 18

Answer Marks
5a • Mobile phase / solvent moves through paper 1
• And carries substances different distances 1
• Which depend on their attraction for paper and 1
solvent
b • Black ink is a mixture
• Because more than one spot
• Contains blue, red and yellow
• Because Rf values / positions match
• Does not contain green
• Contains unknown
• Which is insoluble
• Yellow is most soluble or has the highest Rf value,
blue is least 4
c • Both measurements from artwork 1
• Correct equation used 1
• Correct answer (± 0.02) 1

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 • Page 20

Answer Marks
4a Any one from: 1
• Heat
• Stir
b Filter 1

c Any one from: 1

• Wear safety goggles
• Wear an apron
d Evaporation at A 1

Evaporation at B 1
e 100 1

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