Experiment 7 Separation Challenge

Experiment 7 Separation Challenge

Problem

Design a procedure to separate a mixture into pure substances.

Introduction

Your plane crashed in northern Canada, but luckily everyone survived. You are very thirsty and need water fast, but all you have is muddy lake water. How can you purify the water for everyone? There may be “mud” (coffee grounds) and salt mixed in the water, and you need to remove these from the water.

Also, there might be some iron in the mud, which can be used to make arrows for hunting, so you should try to separate that as well. Bly and Ms. Henderson would like to use their incredible brilliance in chemistry to help you, but they already built a canoe and escaped down the river to civilization. Good luck!

Prelaboratory Assignment

· Read the Introduction and Procedure before you begin.

· Your notebook should include the following. The purpose, hypothesis and procedure should be completed before you begin the lab.

o Title

o Purpose

o Hypothesis – Explain the separation techniques you will use and what you expect to be separated in each step. Explain how each could isolate a component of the mixture. You can simulate distillation by boiling water in an evaporation dish.

o Procedure – Your procedure written in a series of numbered steps. Be sure to explain exactly what materials you use. List four separation techniques that might be used in this experiment.

o Data – list your observations from each step.

Materials

· Mixture sample

· Safety goggles

· Lab apron

You may use these materials to assist you:

· Funnel

· Heating unit

· Filter paper

· Magnet

· Evaporating dish

· 100-mL beakers

Safety

None of the chemicals is hazardous, but common-sense procedures should be followed:

1. Wear safety goggles at all times in the laboratory.
2. Wipe up all spills with large amounts of water.
3. Confirm the safety of your procedures with your teacher before proceeding.

Procedure

1. Obtain your sample mixture from your teacher.

2. Design a procedure to isolate each component.

3. Check with your teacher regarding the safety of all of your procedures.

4. Place each component you isolate into a small baggie, seal and label it to turn in to your teacher.

Cleaning Up

1. Clean-up your work area when you are finished.
2. Return equipment to its proper place.
3. Wash your hands thoroughly before leaving the laboratory.

Analysis and Conclusions

Write a report (typed) including these sections:

· Purpose

· Hypothesis

· Procedure

· Data – you may want to organize your observations of each step in a table.

· Conclusion – Were you able to separate each part of the mixture perfectly? Explain what worked well and what didn’t work well.

· Evaluation Explain how you could improve your procedure to eliminate any problems you had.