CHEMISTRY YEAR 09 Class activity sheet-26 (Separation of mixtures)

Lesson objectives:
By the end of this lesson, about 70% of the learners should be able to:
 State and explain the how mixtures can be separated by use of separating funnel, magnet, evaporation and
sublimation.
 Suggest suitable examples of mixtures separated by use of separating funnel, magnet, evaporation and
sublimation.

Recap of previous lesson:

What can you recall about the last lesson?
………………………………………………………………………………………………………
Prompt for prior knowledge:

What do you know about separating funnel and sublimation?

Purification techniques (Use of separating funnel, magnet, evaporation and sublimation)
- Properties involve include density, thermal stability, and magnetic property.
-
(A) Sublimation
- Sublimation is a technique used to separate a mixture of
two solids, one of which sublimes.
- Place the mixture in an evaporating dish covered with
an inverted filter funnel.
- Gently heat the mixture.
- The Ammonium Chloride changes into a gas directly on
heating.
- The white fumes of Ammonium Chloride rise and
reform on the cold funnel.
- The non-volatile sand remains in the evaporating dish.
- Examples of other substances that sublime are: solid CO 2, dry FeCl3, AlCl3.

ACTIVITY 01:
(a) What do you understand by the term sublimation? ………………………………………………….
………………………………………………………………………………………………………
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(b) The mixture shown on the diagram above contains sodium chloride (common salt) and
ammonium chloride. Which of the substances sublimes during the separation process? Explain.
…………………………………………………………………………………………….
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…………..
(c) Give examples of two other substances not mentioned above that sublime including a common one
at home.
(1)………………………………………..……………………………………………………………
(2)……………………………………………………………………………………………………..
(d) State two functions of the inverted funnel. …………………………………………………………..
………………………………………………………………………………………………………
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(B) Use of a separating funnel
- A separating funnel is used to separate immiscible
liquids.
X - Immiscible refers to two liquids that do not mix/ do not
dissolve in each other.
Y Procedure
- Pour the mixture into a separating funnel.
- Allow the two liquids to separate into two layers
- the less dense oil will form the upper layer and water,
the lower layer.
- Open the tap to run out the bottom water layer into a
beaker and use another beaker to collect the upper
layer.

ACTIVITY 02:
(a) The separating funnel shown on the diagram above contains a mixture of water and oil. Identify X
and Y on the diagram. Suggest an explanation for your identities. X:
…………………………………………… Y:……………………………………………
Explanation: ………………………………………………………………………………...
……………………………………………………………………………………………….
(b) Suggest two other mixtures that can be separated using a separating funnel. (1)
………………………………………..…(2)……………………………………………..
(C) Evaporation

- Evaporation separates crystals of solute from solution. The crystals separated must be stable to heat
otherwise decompose by heat after all the water has evaporated.
- For some substances, the solubility changes very little as the temperature falls. So crystallisation
does not work for these. Salt is an example.
- This method is applied to separate salt from sea water.
- We heat the solution (mixture) so that the solvent evaporates and leaves the solid (solute) behind .

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ACTIVITY 03:
(a) Suggest two reasons why evaporation is a suitable method to separate salt dissolved in water.
………………………………………………………………………………………………………..
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(b) Suggest a reason why gentle heating is needed when little water is left.
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(c) How would the mass of the evaporating dish and its content vary when evaporation is used to
separate a mixture? Explain. …………………………………………………………………………
………………………………………………………………………………………………………
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(D) Use of a magnet

- A separating funnel is used to a mixture in which only one of

the components is separated by a magnet.
- An example of such a mixture is iron filings and sulphur.
Procedure
- Hold the magnet just slightly above the mixture for sometime.
- The component attracted by magnet come out and stick on the
magnet living behind the other component.

ACTIVITY 04:
(a) On the diagram containing iron + sulphur, identify the substance on the magnet and explain the
choice of your identity.
Substance on magnet: ………………………………………………………………………………..
Explanation:…………………………………………………………………………………………..
(b) Suggest two other mixtures than can be separated by use of magnet. (1)
………………………………………..… (2)……………………………………………………..

ASSIGNMENT How can the following mixtures be separated?

(a) Potassium bromide from an aqueous solution of potassium bromide. Assume Potassium bromide has
similar properties to sodium chloride. Explain why your method of separation is suitable .
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……………………………………………………………………………………….(3mks)
(b) Iodine crystals from charcoal powder. Explain your method of separation is suitable.
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………………………………………………………………………………………(3mks)
(c) Continuous warming of soup for a very long time without water added to the soup before
warming causes the soup to be salty. Explain.
………………………………………………………………………………………………
……………………………………………………………………………………….(2mks)
(d) Suggest two methods by which a mixture of ammonium chloride and iron filing can be
separated. Explain in each change why your method of separation is suitable.
Method I: ……………………………………………………………………………………
Explanation for method I: …………………………………………………………………..
………………………………………………………………………………………………
Method II: …………………………………………………………………………………...
Explanation for method II: ………………………………………………………………….
………………………………………………………………………………………..(6mks)
[Grand total = 14 mks]