Describe how you would separate a mixture of water, sand and iron metal filings. Which separation techniques would you use?

Question

Natalie Anton · Accepted Answer

Water may be simply filtered off. The iron filings may be dissolved in acid, and this solution filtered from the sand.

#Fe(s) + 2HCl(aq) rarr FeCl_2(aq) + H_2(g)uarr# Sand, #SiO_2# to a first approximation, is very inert, and only specialty acids (for instance #HF#) would touch it.

Henry Antrim · Answer

undefined To separate a mixture of water, sand, and iron filings, you would first use a magnet to remove the iron filings. Then, you would pour the remaining mixture through a filter to separate the sand from the water. Finally, you could evaporate the water to obtain the pure sand.

Wyatt Adkins · Answer

undefined To separate a mixture of water, sand, and iron metal filings, you can use a combination of separation techniques:

1. Magnetism: Iron metal filings are magnetic, so you can use a magnet to separate them from the mixture. Simply pass a magnet over the mixture, and the iron filings will be attracted to the magnet, allowing you to separate them from the other components.

2. Filtration: Since sand does not dissolve in water, you can use filtration to separate the sand from the water. Pour the mixture through a filter paper or a fine mesh sieve. The sand particles will be retained on the filter, while the water will pass through.

3. Distillation: If you want to separate the water from any dissolved impurities or contaminants, you can use distillation. Heat the mixture to boil the water, then collect the steam and condense it back into liquid form. The impurities will be left behind, and you'll obtain pure water.

By using these three techniques - magnetism for the iron filings, filtration for the sand, and distillation for the water - you can effectively separate the components of the mixture.