Separation of a Mixture of Solids Essay Example

chloride should have dissolved and separated from the insoluble sand. Transfer the hot liquid into a small paper or Styrofoam® cup. Next, add another 10 to 15 mL of distilled water to the beaker containing the sand, bring the mixture to a boil again, and pour it once more into the same cup used in step 2-C.

To ensure the removal of any remaining salt and benzoic acid from the sand, create an ice bath in a container such as a coffee cup. Crushed ice and tap water should be added to the container, ensuring that the ice bath level is higher than the solution level in your paper cup. Take care that no additional water pours into the solution cup. Place the cup with the water solution of benzoic acid and salt into the ice bath. As the solution cools, observe the crystallization of the benzoic acid from the solution. Keep this water bath assembly aside for the next section.

To dry the sand in the beaker, heat it slowly over low heat to avoid splattering. You can also cover the beaker with a saucer or use a warm oven to reduce sample loss. Another option is air-drying the wet sand by placing it on paper towels. Once completely dry, let the beaker cool to room temperature and transfer the sand to a weighing dish for determining its net mass.

For separating benzoic acid crystals, perform filtration using these instructions: First, weigh a paper cup and record its mass. Place this cup inside a larger container for support. Fold a filter paper and insert it into a funnel placed in the supported cup

within the container. Remove the cup containing salt and benzoic acid crystals from its ice bath.

To chill distilled water, fill a graduated cylinder with around 5 mL of distilled water and place it in an ice bath. Swirl the cup with salt and benzoic acid crystals to dislodge any stuck crystals from the sides. Finally, carefully pour the contents of this cup into the lined funnel while holding it in place and open.

After the sodium chloride solution has passed through the filter paper, add chilled distilled water (2 to 5 mL) onto the inner surfaces of the funnel lined with filter paper. This step guarantees complete elimination of sodium chloride from the benzoic acid crystals. Following drainage, put the filter paper holding the benzoic acid crystals on folded paper towels and let it air dry undisturbed for several hours or days, depending on humidity levels. Once fully dry, weigh the filter paper along with benzoic acid crystals and subtract the weight of just the filter paper to determine the net weight of solely benzoic acid crystals.

To separate salt: detach the funnel from filtration apparatus and place a cup containing sodium chloride solution in an undisturbed location for multiple days. The water will evaporate, leaving only sodium chloride in that cup.

The first step entails weighing the paper cup containing dried salt crystals. The weight of the cup is then subtracted to determine the net weight of table salt. A data table is prepared, recording the masses in grams with one decimal place for each component of the mixture. Additionally, the percentage of each component relative to the total mixture is also recorded. After completion of the

experiment, all equipment should be thoroughly cleaned, rinsed, and dried before being returned to LabPaq. Used paper cups and towels should be disposed of in the trash.

The following observations, data, and calculations were made:

- In Part 1: Weighing dish mass - 0.5g; Total mixture mass - 7.5g; Net mass of mixture - 6g.
- Paper mass - 0.8g; Iron fillings and paper combination mass - 2.7g; Net iron fillings mass - 1.9g.
- In Part 2: Net sand mass - 2.0g.
- In Part 3: Paper cup mass - 6.g; Filter paper mass - 1.g; Filter paper and benzoic acid combination mass - 2..7g; Net benzoic acid mass - .7.g
- In Part : Paper cup with salt weigh ed . g ; N et mas s o f sal t at . g

A summary data table presents both grams and percentages for each component:

Iron filings: Weight – .9.g (27.%); Sand: Weight – .0.g (9.%); Table salt: Weight – .9.g (11.%); Benzoic acid: Weight – .7.g (.%); Total weight – ..5.g (59.%).In conclusion, the comparison between the proposed procedures or flow charts at the beginning of the experiment and the actual procedures implemented during the lab exercise will be addressed.

The procedure was similar to what was described, except for the last step of separating the Table Salt. I suggested heating the mixture instead of letting it evaporate in order to separate them. Discussing the advantages and disadvantages of my proposed procedure compared to the one actually used, if heated, there's a risk of losing salt due to excessive heat and no crystals would form in the salt and water mixture. Additionally, explaining how it

is possible to have a sand recovery percentage that is higher than the original sand percentage.

The experiment may have been affected by the presence of iron fillings, benzoic acid, or salt that were not properly separated from the sand. There were a few possible sources of error. Firstly, some remains did not completely detach from the beaker or stirrer when separating pure sand. Secondly, it is possible that some salt remained with the benzoic acid crystals and did not pass through the filter paper. This could have resulted in a higher mass for the benzoic acid and a lower mass for the salt than expected.

The objective of this experiment was to gain knowledge about solid mixture separation techniques and enhance comprehension of substance chemical properties. The experiment encompassed filtration, evaporation, crystallization, and separation methods. Despite its fascination, the experiment encountered difficulties such as the prolonged evaporation time for the salt water solution and a discrepancy between the total mass and the original mass, suggesting substance loss during the procedure.