‘Separating Mixtures’

1st Year Science – Chemistry

 Separating Mixtures – Introduction
Mixtures:
‘A mixture is made up of 2 or more substances mingled
together but not chemically combined’

e.g. Air – oxygen, carbon dioxide, Nitrogen

e.g. Cup of Coffee – coffee granules, milk, water, sugar
e.g. Sea Water– water, salt, chlorine and many more
 Ways of Separating Mixtures
• Decanting: Very Basic method
• Filtration & Evaporation: Separating solids from liquids
• Distillation: Uses evaporation to separate 2 liquids
• Chromatography: Separating Different Dyes in inks

Filtration Evaporation Distillation Chromatography

 Separating Solids from liquids
The type of separation depends on whether the solid is Soluble or
Insoluble in the liquid
Soluble: Solids that dissolve in liquids to form a solution
e.g. Sugar in tea or coffee, Salt in sea water

Evaporation can be used to separate

soluble solids and Liquids

Insoluble: Solids that don’t dissolve.

Instead they sink to the bottom of the liquid

e.g. Sand & soil in water
Filtration can be used to separate
insoluble solids and Liquids
 Filtration Experiment
Title: ‘Separation of Soil and Water’
Apparatus: Beaker, Stirring rod, Retort stand, Funnel, Filter paper,
Soil/water mixture

Filter paper

Filtrate
 Evaporation Experiment
Title: ‘Separation of Salt and Water through Evaporation’
Apparatus: Bunsen Burner, Tripod, Evaporating Dish, Salt water
solution, Beaker of Water (optional)

Evaporating
Dish
Salt water
Solution

Tripod

Bunsen Burner
 Separating Solids from liquids
Another basic method of filtration is Decanting

Water

Water

Sand

Solids are allowed to settle at the bottom of the liquid and then
water is gently drained off.
 Distillation
• The problem with evaporation is that the liquid is lost.
• Distillation is a method of separation that saves the liquid(s)

Distillation is used to separate...

1. Two miscible liquids (liquids that mix)
e.g. Water and alcohol
2. Soluble solids from liquids
e.g. Salt and water
Two types of Distillation...
3. Simple distillation
4. Fractional Distillation
Immiscible means substances that do not mix together e.g. Water & oil
 Distillation
Simple Distillation:
e.g. Separation of two miscible liquids – Water and alcohol
• Both liquids have two different boiling points...
Round
Water = 100⁰C Bottom
Flask Thermometer
Alcohol = 78⁰C
Liebig Condenser
• Some water evaporates with the Water Out

alcohol, therefore it is not a perfect

method of separation
Solution
Wire
• Cooling water condenses steam back Gauze

into water droplets (distillate) Water In

• Can also be used to separate liquids Distillate

and solids (salt & water) Tripod

Bunsen Burner Simple Distillation
 Distillation
Fractional Distillation:
• Greater quality of separation
• Fractionating column is heated to the Fractionating Column Thermometer

boiling point of alcohol (78⁰C)

Liebig Condenser
Round
Water Out
• The water cools down over the long Bottom
Flask
distance and condenses back into
droplets. Water In

• The pure alcohol continues on Distillate

Solution
through the Liebig condenser and
condenses at the other end as
Wire Gauze
distillate. Tripod

Bunsen Burner Fractional Distillation

Distillation – Separating Salt and Water
 Chromatography
• Chromatography is a method used to separate complex mixtures

e.g. Hospitals: Analysing blood samples

e.g. Forensics: Analysing samples from crime scenes

How Chromatography is carried out:

• A coloured dot is placed at one end of the chromatography paper
• The strip is placed in a beaker/cylinder that contains a solvent (water)
• The strip is placed in the solvent with the ink dots above solvent (water) level.
• The solvent (water) is absorbed upwards through the paper and carries the different
dyes with it
• Some dyes only go up to a certain point therefore separating them out.
 Chromatography
How Chromatography is carried out:

Container Separated Dyes

After 10-15 minutes

Chromatography
Paper

Solvent
(water) Ink
Spots

Direction of Absorbed Solvent