SEPARATING

MIXTURES
Separating

✘A property of mixtures is that they can be

separated.

✘There are many different ways to separate

mixtures, depending on whether the mixture is
a solution, suspension, or a colloid.
Separating Insoluble
Substances
Separating suspensions
Decanting

✘Decanting is simply pouring the liquid out

of a container, leaving the solid particles
behind.
Sieving

✘Sieving is using a barrier with holes in it to

separate large particles from smaller particles.
The bigger particles stay behind, and the
smaller particles fall through the holes.
✘Fishing nets, colanders, and sifters are all
sieves.

When you use a strainer to drain the

water from your 2-minute noodles
you are sieving!
Filtration

✘Filtration, or filtering, is another process of

separating larger particles from smaller
particles. A filter works much like a sieve, but
with much smaller holes (often
microscopic in size!).
✘Tea bags and dust masks are both
filters.

In the Science lab, we often use

filter paper to separate mixtures.
Magnetic Separation

✘Magnetic separation
uses a magnet to pick up all
the magnetic parts in a
mixture, leaving the non-
magnetic parts behind.

✘Magnetic separation is
often used on mines, and in
recycling plants.
Centrifuging

✘A centrifuge is a machine that spins very,

very quickly. By doing this, the particles are
forced to the sides, and then bottom of the
chamber.

✘Your washing machine is a

centrifuge!
When it spins very quickly
the water separates from
your clothes!
 Separating Soluble
Mixtures
Separating Solutions and Colloids
Evaporation & Crystallisation

✘ When you need to separate a solute from a

solvent in a solution, evaporation can be used
to separate them.

✘Heating up the liquid (the solvent) in a

solution causes it to evaporate into the
atmosphere.

✘By removing the solvent, the solute is

separated and left behind.
Evaporation & Crystallisation

✘Salt manufacturers use evaporation to

obtain the salt from sea water.

Evaporation is also used

in cooking to make sauces
more flavoursome!
Distillation

Evaporation leaves the solute behind, but the

solvent is lost to the atmosphere.

✘Distillation lets us keep the solvent as well

as capturing the evaporated vapour and
condensing it back into a liquid (but now
without the solute in it!)
Distillation

✘Distillation is an easy way to get fresh water

from sea-water!
The water evaporates, leaving the salt behind,
and is then condensed as water again.
Chromatography

✘Chromatography is used to separate

different chemicals, specifically colouring
agents (dyes or inks). A paper is dipped in
solvent, and it moves up the paper, dissolving
the colours and dragging them along.

✘The different colours dissolve

better than others in a solvent,
and will travel further up the paper.
RECAP
Your Turn

✘Have a go at separating out mixtures using

this interactive.
✘Separating the Mixtures