C402 - Mixtures

Which separation technique would be best to separate a mixture of sand and water?

• Filtration

• Evaporation

• Chromatography

• Distillation

Answer explanation

Sand is an insoluble solid, meaning that it won't dissolve in water. The particles are too large to pass through the filter paper, so they are separated.

Which separation techniques would work for separating a mixture of ink and water?

• Filtration

• Evaporation

• Chromatography

• Distillation

Answer explanation

You could choose either distillation (because of the difference in boiling points), or separate the substances based on their solubility using chromatography.

Which method would you use to separate a mixture of salt and water?

• Filtration

• Evaporation

• Chromatography

• Distillation

Answer explanation

You could use distillation (if you wanted to keep the water), or you could use evaporation to remove the water and be left with the soluble solid.

What separation technique would you use to separate a mixture of different colored dyes?

• Filtration

• Evaporation

• Chromatography

• Distillation

Answer explanation

Chromatography can separate soluble mixtures based on their solubilities.

Which separation technique is used to separate a mixture of alcohol and water?

• Filtration

• Evaporation

• Chromatography

• Distillation

Answer explanation

Distillation can be used to separate different liquids based on their boiling points.

What is the best method to separate a mixture of gravel and sand?

• Filtration

• Evaporation

• Chromatography

• Distillation

Answer explanation

Filtration would be the best method as the smaller pieces of sand can pass through the gaps but the larger pieces of gravel get trapped behind.

Which technique would be most effective to separate a mixture of sugar and water?

• Filtration

• Evaporation

• Chromatography

• Distillation

Answer explanation

Evaporation would be the best method as sugar is soluble and would therefore pass through filter paper as a solution with the water.

How would you separate a mixture of vinegar and water?

• Filtration

• Evaporation

• Chromatography

• Distillation

Answer explanation

Distillation is used to separate liquids with different boiling points.

Which separation technique would be best for separating a mixture of sand and salt?

• Filtration

• Evaporation

• Chromatography

• Distillation

Answer explanation

First add water to the two solids, which will dissolve the salt but not the sand.

Then filter the mixture. The salt will pass through the paper but the sand will not, so the mixture has been separated.

Then you evaporate off the water and retrieve pure salt.

What method is used to separate a mixture of acetone (nail polish remover) and water?

• Filtration

• Evaporation

• Chromatography

• Distillation

Answer explanation

Distillation is used to separate two liquids with different boiling points.