Mixture Separation Lab

Submitted by: Liam Gerety

Eric Yeh
11 October 2015
Periods 5 and 6 Honors Chemistry

Objective

To develop and perform a process to separate a mixture of iron filings, sand, potassium nitrate,
and sodium chloride.

Introduction

A mixture is a physical combination of two or more substances. There are two types of mixtures:
Homogeneous mixtures and heterogeneous mixtures.

Homogeneous mixtures are uniform

throughout, while heterogeneous mixtures are not uniform and have visibly different phases.
Salt and water is an example of a homogeneous mixture, whereas oil and water is an example of
a heterogeneous mixture.
There are numerous ways to separate mixtures, including evaporation, filtration,
magnetization, recrystallization, distillation.

Evaporation separates solutions (homogeneous

mixtures) by allowing the solvent (what does the dissolving) to evaporate, leaving behind the
solute (what is dissolved). Filtration separates solids from liquids; a filtration device catches the
solids but allows the liquid to flow through it, therefore collecting the solid. An example of

filtration is straining. If pasta is cooked in boiling water, the strainer filters the water from the
pasta, therefore separating the mixture (of pasta and water). Magnetization separates mixtures of
magnetic and nonmagnetic substances. A magnet collects the magnetic substance and leaves the
nonmagnetic substance(s), consequently separating the mixture. Recrystallization separates a
solute from a solvent when more than one solute is present. The solution is chilled, therefore
causing one solute to crystalize while the other remains in solution. The crystals can then be
separated from the solution through filtration, rendering the solutes separated from each other.
Distillation separates liquids from other liquids; the liquid with the lowest boiling point boils out
of the mixture and its vapor is collected and condensed. As a result, the mixture is separated and
the liquids are saved. Distillation is often used to purify water. The water is boiled from any
contaminants with which it was mixed and its pure vapor is condensed, therefore allowing it to
be drunk.
Separation techniques are chosen in accordance with a substances physical intensive
properties. Intensive properties only describe the nature of a substance; they do not indicate the
amount of a substance or how they change. Melting points, boiling points, density, magnetism,
and solubility are examples of physical intensive properties.

Using a magnet to separate

mixtures uses the physical property of magnetism, filtration uses the property of size, and
distillation uses the property of boiling point. It would be useless to separate a solid mixture
with distillation or to separate a solution with magnetization.
The experiment conducted used the separation techniques of magnetization, filtration,
recrystallization, and evaporation to separate a mixture of iron filings, sand, sodium chloride, and
potassium nitrate.

Materials

mixture of iron filings, sand, sodium chloride, and potassium nitrate

weigh boats
scale
hot plate
magnets
plastic bags
Erlenmeyer flask
funnel
filter paper
ice bath
beakers
stirring rods
scoopula

Procedure

1. Put mixture in a large weigh boat.

2. Mass separate (small) weigh boat.
3. Use magnet to remove iron filings and put filings into small weigh boat.
4. Mass iron filings (in small weigh boat).
5. Put remaining mixture in beaker along with water to make a solution.
6. Mass filter paper.
7. Slowly filter solution into an Erlenmeyer flask.
8. Dry filter paper and mass it with sand.
9. Pour solution into beaker.
10. Place beaker in ice bath to recrystallize potassium nitrate.

11. Mass filter paper.

12. Slowly filter solution and crystals into Erlenmeyer flask to obtain crystals.
13. Mass beaker.
14. Pour solution in beaker.
15. Evaporate water to attain sodium chloride
16. Mass beaker and sodium chloride.

Data

Substance

Recorded Masses of Containers and Containers with Substances

Mass of Container
Mass of Substance and

Iron Filings
Sand
Potassium Nitrate
Sodium Chloride

2.06g
7.73g
0.87g
113.93g

Calculations

Iron filings
Mass: 5.69g 2.06g = 3.63g
Percent Error: |3.80g 3.63g| 100 = 4.5%
3.80g
Sand
Mass: 13.99g 7.73g = 6.26g
Percent Error: |6.12g 6.26g| 100 = 2.29%
6.12g
Potassium Nitrate
Mass: 1.80g 0.87g = 0.93g

Container
5.67g
13.99g
1.80g
121.65g

Percent Error: |4.91g 0.93g| 100 = 81.1%

4.91g
Sodium Chloride
Mass: 121.65g 113.93g
Percent Error: |4.95g 7.72g| 100 = 56%
4.95g
Calculated Masses of Substances, Theoretical Masses of Substances, Percent Errors
Substance
Calculated Mass
Theoretical Mass
Percent Error
Iron Filings
3.63g
3.80g
4.5%
Sand
6.26g
6.12g
2.29%
Potassium Nitrate
0.93g
4.91g
81.1%
Sodium Chloride
7.72g
4.95
55.9%

Conclusion

Claim: The overall process of mixture separation was successful, although improper amounts of
potassium nitrate and sodium chloride were obtained.
Evidence: The percent error for the 3.63g of iron filings was 4.5% and the percent error for the
6.26g of sand was 2.29%, while the percent error for the 0.93g of potassium nitrate was 81.1%
and the percent error for the 7.72g of sodium chloride was 55.9%.
Reasoning: Magnetization was successfully used to separate the iron filings from the mixture.
The irons physical intensive property of magnetism was utilized in order to separate it. The
sand was also successfully separated through the use of filtration. Filter paper collected all of the
sand while allowing the solution of water, potassium nitrate, and sodium chloride to pass through
it. The recrystallization did not successfully separate all of the potassium nitrate. While the
crystals were being filtered from the solution of water and sodium chloride, the majority of the
potassium nitrate crystals dissolved back into the water. Consequently, only a small amount of

potassium nitrate was collected.

Evaporation to obtain the sodium chloride also was

unsuccessful. This is most likely because a large amount of potassium nitrate remained in the
solution. Consequently, when the water dissolved, the recorded mass of the sodium chloride was
greater due to the presence of potassium nitrate.
Rebuttal: It could be claimed that the process was unsuccessful, for the calculated masses of
potassium nitrate and sodium chloride had high percent errors. However, potassium nitrate and
sodium chloride were still obtained. Therefore, although the calculated masses of potassium
nitrate and sodium chloride should have been more accurate, the overall separation of the
mixture was successful.

Reflection

The separation of iron filings and sand were successful, while the separation of potassium nitrate
and sodium chloride was not. The potassium nitrate could have been separated successfully if it
could have been kept from dissolving back into the solution. This was difficult to do because the
potassium nitrate crystals had to be scraped out of the beaker and into the filter paper. This
disturbance caused most of the potassium nitrate to dissolve. Furthermore, if the solution was
able to be kept cold, more potassium nitrate could have been gathered because the heat from
human hands would not have warmed the solution and allowed the crystals to dissolve. The
dissolving of potassium nitrate would have caused the recorded mass of the potassium nitrate to
be less than the actual mass. Moreover, the success of the separation of sodium chloride was
dependent on the success of the potassium nitrate. Because most of the potassium nitrate
remained in solution, the calculated mass of sodium chloride was greater because of the presence
of potassium nitrate.

References
Lide, D. (1994). CRC Handbook of Chemistry and Physics: A Ready-Reference Book of
Chemical and Physical Data (75th ed. ed.). Boca Raton, Florida: CRC Press.