Understand How to Separate Mixtures

Mixtures are made up of two or more substances - but the different substances are not chemically joined together, which means that they can be easily separated.

There are different ways to separate mixtures.

The method chosen depends upon the type of mixture.

We shall talk about some simple ways to separate some mixtures here.

A mixture made of solid particles with varying sizes - such as a mixture of sand, shells and pebbles - can be separated by sieving. The smaller particles would go through the holes in the sieve, while the larger ones remain in the sieve. 

If you have a mixture of a solid in a liquid (one that won't dissolve, so it's still in solid form), and this solid in the mixture is really, really small, a sieve may have holes that are too big. In this case, filtering using a funnel lined with some filter paper would be best. This can trap even the finest solids!

A mixture containing a magnetic substance - such as solid pieces of metal - could be separated using a magnet. For example, if you had a mixture of iron nails and sulfur you could hold a magnet over the mixture and the iron nails would stick to the magnet while the sulfur powder stayed in the bowl. 

Shall we try some questions, putting your knowledge to the test?