Background knowledge

Mix and match ✩

Mixtures are two or more materials combined together. They can be
separated in many different ways. To find out which is the best way to
separate a mixture, you must first ask yourself some important questions.
For example, are the materials in the mixture soluble? Are the materials
attracted to a magnet? Do the materials change when they are heated?
What size are the particles in the mixture?

Science activity
On the left, you can see four mixtures. On the right are four different
methods for separating mixtures. Draw a line between each mixture and the
best separation method. On a separate piece of paper, explain your choice.

Steel nails and Dissolve in water Use a

copper nails and then use a filter. colander.

Science investigation
Rice and mung beans
Suppose
Take extrasomebody
care -
mixed
ask an together
adult to sand,
Use a magnet.
paper clips,
supervise and sugar.
you.
Design
Suppose and conduct
somebody mixed
an experiment
together thatclips,
sand,paper
Shake in a bottle with will separate the and
and sugar. Design three
Soil containing conduct an experiment
mud and sand some water materials from one
and leave that will separate
another. How could the
to settle. three materials from
you get the sugar back one
ifanother. How could
you dissolved you
it in
get the sugar back if you
water? The activity
dissolved it in water?
on website 65-1 will
help you.
Sand and salt

65

© Dorling Kindersley Limited [2010]

65
Background knowledge
Mix and match ✩
Mixtures are two or more materials combined together. They can be
separated in many different ways. To find out which is the best way to
separate a mixture, you must first ask yourself some important questions.
For example, are the materials in the mixture soluble? Are the materials
attracted to a magnet? Do the materials change when they are heated?
What size are the particles in the mixture?

Science activity
On the left, you can see four mixtures. On the right are four different
methods for separating mixtures. Draw a line between each mixture and the
best separation method. On a separate piece of paper, explain your choice.

Steel nails and Dissolve in water Use a

copper nails and then use a filter. colander.

Science investigation
Rice and mung beans
Sugar dissolves in
water while sand does
Use a magnet.
not. If water is added to
the mixture, the sand
can be separated with a
Shake in a bottle with
coffee filter. The sugar
Soil containing
mud and sand some water can be separated from
and leave the water by boiling off
to settle. the water—be careful
not to burn the sugar.

Sand and salt

Sugar dissolves in water while sand does not. If water

is added to the mixture, the sand
© Dorling Kindersley can be separated
Limited [2010]
with a coffee filter. The sugar can be separated from