The separation of components in a mixture is very important in many science
fields. When scientists need to study one particular component of a mixture,
various separation methods are used. These methods often utilize the physical,
and sometimes the chemical properties of the substances. After reviewing
the differences between chemical elements, compounds, and mixtures,
we discussed some common reasons and methods for separating out the
components of a mixture.
Students were given a mixture of sand, rice, and iron filings and worked in
teams to design and implement a multi-step purification process for this mixture,
taking advantage of the different properties of each component to recover as
much as possible. Various tools were provided to the students, including many
household items such as colanders, sieves, coffee filters, magnets, and utensils.
Magnets were used by all groups to separate the iron fillings from the mixture
and colanders were the most popular item used to separate rice and sand.
Additional Information:
Music Video: Meet the Elements (3:15) — They Might Be Giants https://
www.youtube.com/watch?v=Uy0m7jnyv6U