Question

Describe the separation technique that could be used to separate each of the following mixtures. a. two colorless liquids b. a non dissolving solid mixed with a liquid c. red and blue marbles of the same size and mass

Short answer

a. Fractional distillation can be used to separate two colorless liquids, as it utilizes differences in boiling points for separation. b. Filtration can be used to separate a non-dissolving solid mixed with a liquid, as the filter paper retains solid particles while allowing the liquid to pass through. c. Manual sorting can be used to separate red and blue marbles of the same size and mass, by visually identifying and physically separating them into different groups.

Step-by-step solution

Separating two colorless liquids

To separate two colorless liquids, we can use the technique of fractional distillation. This method involves heating the mixture and using the differences in boiling points to separate the components. Here's how it can be done: 1. Place the mixture of the two colorless liquids in a distillation flask. 2. Heat the mixture slowly, the liquid with the lower boiling point will start to evaporate first. 3. The vapor created from the evaporating liquid will rise and reach the fractionating column. 4. As the vapor condenses, the component with the lower boiling point will be collected in a separate flask. 5. Continue heating until the component with the higher boiling point begins to evaporate and collect in another flask. 6. Once the process is complete, you will have the two colorless liquids separated in their respective flasks.

Separating a non-dissolving solid mixed with a liquid

To separate a non-dissolving solid from a liquid, we can use the technique of filtration. This method involves passing the mixture through a filter that retains the solid particles while allowing the liquid to pass through. Here's how it can be done: 1. Fold a piece of filter paper into a cone shape and place it inside a funnel. 2. Place the funnel over a container (such as a beaker) to collect the liquid. 3. Slowly pour the mixture onto the filter paper inside the funnel. 4. The solid particles will be trapped on the filter paper, while the liquid will pass through and collect in the container. 5. Once all the liquid has passed through the filter, the solid will remain on the filter paper, and the liquid will be collected in the container.

Separating red and blue marbles of the same size and mass

To separate red and blue marbles of the same size and mass, we can use the technique of manual sorting. This method involves visually identifying the different marbles and physically separating them into different groups. Here's how it can be done: 1. Spread out the mixture of red and blue marbles on a flat surface, such as a table. 2. Visually identify the red marbles and pick them up one by one, placing them in a separate container. 3. Continue this process until all the red marbles have been picked and placed in the separate container. 4. Visually identify the blue marbles and pick them up one by one, placing them in another separate container. 5. Continue this process until all the blue marbles have been picked and placed in their separate container. 6. Once the process is complete, you will have the red marbles in one container and the blue marbles in another container.

Key concepts

Fractional Distillation

When faced with a mixture of two colorless liquids, fractional distillation offers a precise way to separate them, leveraging their distinct boiling points. Think of it as a race, where each liquid evaporates at its own pace.

Through gentle heating, the liquid with the lower boiling point takes the lead, turning into vapor first. This vapor ascends to the fractionating column, a zone where the separation truly unfolds. Inside the column, the vapor cools and condenses back into liquid, but only the component with the lower boiling point reaches the finish line—the collection flask—initially.

By maintaining the heat, we coax the 'shyer' liquid, the one with a higher boiling point, into finally evaporating and securing its own spot in a separate flask. The beauty of this method is its precision, allowing pure extraction of each liquid by carefully monitoring the temperature. Properly executed, fractional distillation is like conducting an orchestra of molecules, each note true to its source.

Filtration

Imagine sifting gold from river silt, an age-old quest for purity. Filtration, in its essence, is no different.

Filtration parts a non-dissolving solid from a liquid by straining the mixture through a porous barrier. This barrier, the filter, is akin to a net, catching solid particles while permitting the liquid to flow free, much like water through a fishing net, leaving behind the day's catch.

As the solid lays atop the filter paper, held within the funnel's embrace, gravity pulls the liquid into a waiting beaker below, clear of the residue. A simple, yet effective separation. Whether in a school lab or a high-tech facility, filtration remains a fundamental and universally applied technique, mirroring the natural purification seen in the Earth's own water cycle.

Manual Sorting

The simplicity of manual sorting belies its immense value. It's a technique as natural as sorting socks—a task ingrained in our daily lives.

Presented with red and blue marbles, alike in size and heft, the human eye becomes the instrument of choice. Spread out on a flat expanse, each marble becomes a candidate for selection, waiting to be grouped with its color peers. This tactile process relies on visual cues, hand-eye coordination, and a touch of patience, resulting in an effectively sorted collection.

Through manual sorting, each marble finds its way home, to a container shared with matching companions. This technique transcends modernity, employed across countless scenarios where hands and eyes converge to create order—the essence of separation distilled to its most basic form.