Separating Mixtures
Contents
Key Stage 2
Meaning
Separating Mixtures is when you take out one of the substances from a mixture.
About Separating Mixtures
- Different mixtures need to be separated in different ways:
- Sieving
- Filtering
- Evaporating
Examples
| Beach | Muddy Puddle | Sea Water |
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| You can separate the sand from the pebbles with a sieve. | You can separate mud from water in the puddle with filter paper and a funnel. | You can separate salt from the water by evaporating the water in an evaporating dish. |
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Key Stage 3
Meaning
Separating Mixtures is when you take out one or more of the substances from a mixture.
About Separating Mixtures
- All mixtures can be separated without a chemical reaction.
- There are several methods of separating mixtures that you should know:
Examples
| Filtration | Evaporation |
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| A mixture or a liquid and an insoluble solid can be separated by filtration. | A solute can be recovered from a solution by evaporating away the solvent. |
| Distillation | Chromatography |
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| The solute and solvent can be separated by distillation. | When there are more than 1 solutes in a solution chromatography can separate them. |
Key Stage 4
Meaning
To separate a mixture is to remove one or more chemicals from a mixture of chemicals.
About Separating Mixtures
Different separation techniques are needed for different types of mixture:
- Filtration - To remove an insoluble solid from mixture with a liquid.
- Evaporation (Crystallisation) - Collecting a solute from a solution while losing the solvent.
- Distillation - Collecting both the solute and solvent from a solution.
- Fractional Distillation - Collecting different solvents from the same solution.
- Chromatography - Separating two or more solutes in solution.
- Centrifuge - Separating substances in a mixture by their density.
Extra Information
References
Edexcel
- Separating mixtures, pages 100-102, GCSE Combined Science; The Revision Guide, CGP, Edexcel
- Separating mixtures, pages 37-39, GCSE Chemistry; The Revision Guide, CGP, Edexcel