LABORATORY

REPORT

IN

GENERAL CHEMISTRY 1

Submitted by:

Ricanie A. Cadorna - 12 STEM D

EXERCISE NO. 1

TECHNIQUES FOR SEPARATING THE COMPONENTS OF A MIXTURE

Differences in physical properties can be used to separate mixtures. There are various ways to
separate a mixture which depend on the properties of its components. Some techniques such as
paper chromatography and other forms of chromatography involve chemical reaction while some do
not. Among these methods are filtration, evaporation, simple distillation and sublimation.

I. Paper Chromatography
Objective: To separate a mixture using paper chromatography
Materials
Marking pens Pencil Filter paper strip
Ruler Clear plastic Cup Isopropyl alcohol
Clear scotch tape Clear plastic wrap
Procedure:
1. Use the marking pen to draw a line across a strip of filter paper, as shown in the
illustration above. The line should be 20 cm from one end of the strip.
2. Tape the unmarked end of the filter paper to the center of a pencil so that the strip
hangs down when the pencil is held horizontally on the cup.
3. Pour isopropyl alcohol into a plastic cup to depth of 10 cm.
4. Rest the pencil on the rim of the cup so that the ink line of the strip touches the
alcohol, but does not extend below its surface. The ink line should be above the
solvent. Cover the top of the cup with the plastic wrap.
5. Observe the set up for 15 minutes.

Questions

1. What did you observe in the filter paper?

2. What observation would show that the ink is a mixture?

HOW DID WE DO THE PAPER CHROMATOGRAPHY?

The first thing that we do is we listen to our laboratory instructor. We follow her orders, tips
and guidelines in performing laboratory exercises.
 PAPER CHROMATOGRAPHY

Result:
After fifteen minutes of observation the filter paper slowly absorbs the isopropyl
alcohol, as it reaches the different components of the ink line (which is the sample/tested
solution) it created different degrees of layers as for the components ink.

Discussion:
If there are two or substance are blended together but that do not react chemically it is
called as a mixture. Often time the separation of the components of a mixture is a common
problem encountered in chemistry. There are different kinds of separating a mixture and one
of these is the chromatography.
Chromatography is the process of separating a mixture by the distribution of its
components between two phases, one phase being stationery and the other is on mobile phase.
An example of it is paper chromatography. Paper chromatography is a type of chromatography
procedures wherein the process takes place in a piece of a specialized paper (such as the filter
paper). It is usually used for the separation of a mixture having polar and non polar compounds.
During the lab, the substances are distributed between phases. The ink line which is marked on
the pores of the filter paper serve as the first phase while the second is called the mobile phase
because it moves on the filter paper. Throughout the experiment the alcohol traveled upward
on the filter paper and since the filter paper absorbs the isopropyl alcohol it affects the
tested/sample solution (which is the ink). And when that happened it dissolves the substances
of the ink line creating some layers of the components of the ink, thus making it isolated.

Answers to Questions:

What did you observe in the filter paper?

What observation would show that the ink is a mixture?

References:
Conlusion:
Documentation:
 SUBLIMATION AND FILTRATION
Results:
After the separation of the components of the mixture of naphthalene, NaCl and sand.
The final outcome was seen and these are the following:
First, the naphthalene in the mixture sublimes due to the heat pressure produced by the
Bunsen burner. Second, the remaining mixture (table salt and sand) which is the table salt was
dissolve from the extraction of water and thus filtering the residue which is the sand. And lastly,
when the filtered water evaporated through the Bunsen burner dry NaCl and the dry sand was
recovered and identified.
Discussion:
To better understand the post-lab one must know or understand what a mixture is and
its different methods of separation.
Mixture are distinguished as a physical combination of two or more pure substances.
The methods of separation are used to isolate the components that are not chemically combined.
Considering that a mixture is physically combined, the different methods that are used in this
experiment depends on the physical changes instead of the chemical changes. To be exact there
are five methods of separation of mixture and these are the following: (1) sublimation, is the
heating of a solid that passes directly into a gaseous phase without transitioning into a liquid
phase; (2) evaporation, is the heating of a mixture in order to separate a liquid in the form of a
vapor;(3) extraction is the using of a solvent that selectively dissolves only a single component
while the other components remains insoluble; (4) filtration, involves separating a liquid from
a solid using a porous material such as filter paper, allowing the liquid to pass through but not
solid and (5) decantation is the separation of a liquid from an insoluble solid sediment by
carefully without disturbing the solid. ……..
However, in this experiment the separation methods that are used are only three and
these are the sublimation of naphthalene, extraction of NaCl using water as solvent, filtration
of the remaining residue and the evaporation of the filtered water, wherein the NaCl and sand
was recovered.

Answers to Questions:
Devise another method of isolating the components of the mixture used in Part III.

References:
Berry, Lacey Jaye.(2011, September 13). Separation of the Components of a
Ternary Mixture.Retrieved from https://www.scribd.com/doc/78838316/Chemistry-Lab-
Report-3
 (Lusica, Patricia Marie Tan, Jolene et.al). (2011, February 2). Experiment 1:
Characteristics Of Matter.
Separating the Components of a Mixture. Retrieved from Separating-the-
Components-of-a-Mixture.pdf
Physical Separation Techniques. Retrieved from Physical_Separation.pdf

Conclusion:

Documentation: