Separating a Mixture

What is a mixture? A mixture is two or more different substances physically blended together. There are several ways and techniques to separate a mixture, but in this post we only talk about the following methods:

• magnetic attraction - using a magnet to attract magnetic substances from other non-magnetic substances

Mind Map on Mixtures Separation Methods (Year 3)

• sieving - using sieve to sieve through fine substances and retain substances with bigger particles in the sieve

• sink and float (by picking) - using a basin of water to separate light substances (which will float on water) and heavy substances (which will sink in water)

• filtration - using a filter paper to separate substances from a liquid (water) in which the substances is insoluble

• evaporation (heating under the sun) - used to separate a solute from a solvent in a solution

 

Meanings of the following words will come in handy:

• solute - the substance that dissolves
• solvent - the liquid that does the dissolving
• solution - composed of a solute and a solvent
• residue - the insoluble solid trapped in the filter paper
• filtrate - the liquid that passes through the filter paper