Chapter

Exploring Mixtures
5 and their Separation

Think It Over Have you ever wondered how sweet, white crystals of sugar are
obtained from tall, green sugarcane plants? Or how do doctors
y Why do suspended detect diseases like malaria using just a few drops of blood?
particles settle in Many such everyday activities are made possible by techniques
muddy water over based on the fascinating science of separating mixtures.
time but not in milk?
Grade 6 You have learnt about mixtures and some simple
y How is evaporation Curiosity
methods to separate them. In this chapter, you will
different from boiling? Chapter 9
explore mixtures in greater depth, including their
y Why do you see bright properties, behaviour and the various techniques used to
rays of sunlight when
separate them. From industrial processes like sugar production
it passes through
small gaps between to life-saving medical tests, the separation of mixtures plays a
the leaves of a dense crucial role in our daily lives.
tree?

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 Exploring Mixtures and their Separation 73

5.1 How Can We Classify Mixtures?

Grade 8You have learnt that a mixture of sugar and
water has a uniform composition throughout.
Curiosity
Chapter 9
A well-stirred mixture of sugar and water
is equally sweet in the first and the last sip. Such a
mixture is called a homogeneous mixture (Fig. 5.1) or
a solution. Other examples of homogeneous mixtures
are vinegar (acetic acid in water), aerated drinks like
soda (carbon dioxide in water), etc. A solution always
remains homogeneous.
On the other hand, a stirred mixture of sand and water Fig. 5.1: Homogeneous mixture
is not uniform. The sand particles are easily visible in
the water and settle with time. Such a mixture is called a
heterogeneous mixture (Fig. 5.2). Is the mixture of oil and
water homogeneous or heterogeneous? Can you think of
some other heterogeneous mixtures?
Activity 5.1: Let us experiment — Group activity
Divide the class into three groups — A, B and C. Each group
prepares a mixture in a colourless, transparent glass
tumbler or a 100 mL beaker by following these steps:
1. Group A: Add one spatula of common salt to 50 mL of
water in a beaker and stir it well. Fig. 5.2: Heterogeneous mixture
Label it A.
2. Group B: Add one spatula of chalk
powder to 50 mL of water in a A
beaker and stir it well. Label it B.
3. Group C: Add a few drops of milk to
50 mL of water in a beaker and stir
it well. Label it C.
(a)
4. Are the particles visible in
each mixture? Record your
observations.
B
5. Direct the light from a laser
pointer through the beakers
containing the mixtures (Fig. 5.3)
and observe it from the side
of the beaker in a direction (b)
perpendicular to the laser beam.
Record your observations.
Safety first: Do not look directly into the
C
laser beam. It can cause irreversible eye
damage.
6. Predict what you would observe
in each of the beakers if you
leave them undisturbed for a few (c)
minutes. Fig. 5.3: Passing laser light through various mixtures (a) salt
and water, (b) chalk powder and water, and (c) milk and water

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 7. Set up a filtration apparatus and filter each mixture separately. Is
there any residue left on the filter paper?
8. Based on your observations, do you think these are the same types of
mixtures or are they different?
These are indeed different types of mixtures. How? Let us explore
further!

5.2 Solutions
Grade 8 You have learnt that solutions are homogeneous mixtures. You have also
Curiosity
Chapter 9 learnt that solutions are prepared when a solute (the substance that gets
dissolved) is mixed with a solvent (the substance that dissolves the solute).
In the mixture of sugar and water, sugar is the solute, and water is the
solvent. In what proportion are a solute and a solvent present in a solution?
Can these be expressed quantitatively?

5.2.1 Concentration of a solution

You have learnt how Oral Rehydration Solution (ORS) is prepared. We add
Grade 6

specified amounts of salt and sugar to a fixed amount of water to prepare

Curiosity
Chapter 6
ORS. If we change the amount of salt or sugar added to the same volume
of water, or change the volume of water for the specified amounts of salt
and sugar, we will get a solution of salt and sugar in water, but that will
Note not be ORS. In other words, we cannot freely add any amount of salt and
Not all sugary sugar to a fixed amount of water to make ORS.
drinks prepared Let us take another example. When farmers spray pesticides on their
at home or sold crops, they must mix the right amount of pesticide with a fixed amount of
in the market water to prepare a solution. If they do not do so, what is likely to happen?
are ORS.
Too little pesticide may not protect crops, while too much can damage
crops, soil and the environment.
Meet a Scientist Can you think of other such examples?
The right proportion is always essential when preparing a
Dilip
solution.
Mahalanabis,
an Indian The amount of solute dissolved in a given amount of
paediatrician, solvent or solution is termed as the concentration of the
first solution.
developed Understanding concentration is essential not only in science
and
laboratories but also in everyday life, whether in medicine,
implemented the treatment
agriculture, food, cosmetics, or even while making a simple
for dehydration caused
by diseases, such as cup of tea!
diarrhoea and cholera. He
formulated the ORS that has
5.2.2 How do we express concentration?
revolutionised rehydration Let us now explore the different ways to express the
therapy. It has saved millions concentration of a solution, and understand where and why
of lives after the World each method is more suitable.
Health Organization (WHO) Collect some commercial packaged products (Fig. 5.4) and
popularised it worldwide.
note down the information given for each item.

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 Exploring Mixtures and their Separation 75

The concentration of a solution can be expressed in several ways, a Next

Level
common one being the percentage which we are discussing here. You will Up

learn about other methods in higher grades.

The three main ways to express the concentration of a solution in terms
of percentage are given below.
A. Mass by mass percentage (% m/m or % w/w)
This method is commonly used to express the concentration of
homogeneous mixtures. It tells us how many grams of solute are present
in 100 grams of the total solution.
This can be expressed mathematically as,
Mass of solute
Mass by mass percentage = × 100 (5.1)
Mass of solution
(a)
This method of expressing concentration is also used for heterogeneous
mixtures, such as milk powder (Fig. 5.4a) and spice mixtures. It is also used
to label the composition of packaged foods, showing how much salt, sugar,
or protein is present in them.
Example 5.1: If 10 g of salt is dissolved in 90 g of water, calculate the mass
by mass percentage of the solution formed.
Answer: Mass of salt (solute) = 10 g
Mass of water (solvent) = 90 g
Total mass of solution = Mass of solute + Mass of solvent
= 10 g + 90 g = 100 g
Mass of solute
Mass by mass percentage = × 100
Mass of solution
10 g
= × 100 = 10 % m/m (b)
100 g
B. Mass by volume percentage (% m/v or % w/v)
This method is used where measuring the volume of a liquid is easier
than weighing it, for example, in medicines and laboratories. A common
example is 5% glucose solution (Fig. 5.4b). It tells us how many grams of the
solute is present in 100 millilitres of the solution.
Mathematically,
Mass of solute
Mass by volume percentage = × 100 (5.2)
Volume of solution
Example 5.2: If 5 g of glucose is dissolved in water to make 100 mL of
solution, calculate its concentration in mass by volume percentage.
Answer: Mass of glucose (solute) = 5 g
Volume of solution = 100 mL
Mass of solute
Mass by volume percentage = × 100 (c)
Volume of solution
Fig. 5.4: Composition
5g of some commercial
= × 100 = 5 % m/v packaged products
100 mL
(a) milk powder,
(b) glucose solution, and
(c) vinegar

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 Threads of C. Volume by volume percentage (% v/v)
Curiosity
This method is used when two miscible liquids are mixed,
A saline drip in hospitals for example, in perfumes, cosmetics and vinegar (Fig. 5.4c).
is usually 0.9 % m/v The volume by volume percentage (% v/v) tells us how many
sodium millilitres of the solute is present in 100 millilitres of the solution.
chloride Mathematically,
(common
salt) in Volume of solute
water. That Volume by volume percentage = × 100(5.3)
Volume of solution
means 0.9 g
of salt in Example 5.3: If 1 mL of a liquid pesticide is mixed with a
100 mL of
sufficient amount of water to form 100 mL of a pesticide spray
solution
(Fig. 5.5).
for rice crop, calculate its volume by volume percentage.
0.9% saline Answer: Volume of pesticide (solute) = 1 mL
solution Total volume of solution = 100 mL
is safe for
blood and Volume by volume percentage
replaces lost Volume of solute
= × 100
fluids in the Volume of solution
body. 1 mL
Fig. 5.5: Saline
solution = × 100 = 1% v/v
100 mL

Note
Commonly used unit in industries is weight by weight percentage (% w/w), as weight and mass are
generally used interchangeably. Numerically, both % m/m and % w/w are equal to each other.

Pause and Ponder

1. A common talcum powder contains 4 % m/m zinc oxide, which acts as an antiseptic. How
much zinc oxide is present in 300 g of the talcum powder?
2. Your mother gives you a bottle of orange juice concentrate to mix with water and serve it to
your visiting friends. She asks you to mix two tablespoons of the concentrate with water in a
glass tumbler. If each tablespoon measures 15 mL and you make 150 mL of juice per person,
what is the % v/v of orange juice concentrate in the mixture you prepared?
3. Vinegar, used as a food preservative and additive, contains 5 % v/v acetic acid. Glacial acetic
acid is a liquid, i.e., 100% acetic acid. If you want to make vinegar from glacial acetic acid, how
would you proceed?

5.2.3 Solubility of substances

Grade 8 You have learnt that the maximum amount of solute that dissolves in a
Curiosity
Chapter 9 fixed quantity of the solvent (100 mL or 100 g) is called its solubility at a
given temperature. A solution that cannot dissolve any more solute at that
temperature is called a saturated solution. Why do we mention the
temperature? This is because the solubility of a solid solute in a liquid
solvent generally increases with temperature. On the other hand, in the
case of gases dissolved in liquids, their solubility generally decreases with
an increase in temperature. Solubility is an important property used to
separate substances from mixtures. Let us explore it further!

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 Exploring Mixtures and their Separation 77

Activity 5.2: Let us represent solubility graphically

Consider water as the solvent, and compounds ‘A’ and ‘B’ as the solutes. Each
substance has a different solubility. A graph of solubility versus temperature
is called a solubility curve. The solubility curves for ‘A’ and ‘B’ as solutes
are shown in Fig. 5.6. The x-axis shows temperature (°C), whereas the y-axis
indicates the solubility of the solute in grams per 100 g of water.
y

400
Compound ‘B’
350
Solubility (g per 100 g water)

300
287
250
241

200

150

100
Compound ‘A’
50

x
0
10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80
Temperature (°C)

Fig. 5.6: Solubility curves of compounds ‘A’ and ‘B’ in water

Based on the information from the above graph, predict which of the
two compounds, ‘A’ or ‘B’, will dissolve more in a given amount of water at
a given temperature?
Observe Fig. 5.6 and fill in the blanks of the following statements:
(i) The solubility of compound ‘A’ in water at 20 °C is ______________ (less
than/more than/similar to) its solubility at 60 °C.
(ii) The solubility of compound ‘B’ at 20 °C is ____________ (less than/
more than/similar to) its solubility at 60 °C.
(iii) The solubility of _____________ increases more than that
of ______________ with an increase in the temperature.
What do you think will happen if you make a saturated solution at a
higher temperature and cool it slowly? Let us find out!

5.3 Methods of Separation of Homogeneous Mixtures

5.3.1 Crystallization
You have learnt to prepare a saturated solution. If you take a saturated Grade 8
solution of compound ‘B’ in water at 60 °C, prepared by dissolving 287 g Curiosity
Chapter 9
of compound ‘B’ in 100 g of water, what will happen if you gradually cool
it to 40 °C? As per Fig. 5.6, the solubility of compound ‘B’ is 241 g per 100 g
of water at 40 °C. It implies that only 241 g of compound ‘B’ can remain
in the solution and the rest of it will separate out as a pure solid, often
as crystals. A crystal is a solid that is made up of particles arranged in a
regular geometric pattern.

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 You might have observed many types of crystals in everyday life, such
as rock salt crystals (Fig. 5.7a) or sugar crystals (Fig. 5.7b) that grow while
making candy sugar (called mishri in Hindi). Snowflakes are also crystals,
formed when water vapour freezes in the air. Even frost on windows is
(a) formed when water vapour turns into ice crystals (Fig. 5.7c). This is how
crystals form naturally.
In laboratories, the process of forming crystals from a saturated solution
is called crystallization. This method can be used for the separation of
two solids, in which one of the compounds is present in small quantity
and both are soluble in the same solvent. This method can also be used
(b) for purification of solids. The principle of purification by crystallization
is based on the differences in the solubility of a substance at different
temperatures.
Try creating your own crystals.
Note
Activity 5.3: Let us prepare Sulfuric acid is
required for the
(c) 1. Collect a sample of copper sulfate (blue vitriol). If crystallization of
Fig. 5.7: Crystals of
copper sulfate is unavailable, you can use common only some salts.
(a) rock salt, salt as an alternative.
(b) candy sugar, and Safety first: Copper sulfate is toxic. Perform the experiment under adult
(c) frost supervision and do not touch it with your bare hands.
2. Take 1 g of copper sulfate and place
it in a 100 mL beaker. Add 25 mL of
Glass rod water to the beaker and add a drop
of dilute sulfuric acid. Gently heat
Beaker the mixture in a water bath while
Glass rod stirring constantly. Sulfuric acid
Water Copper
bath sulfate Conical helps in making pure crystals by
solution funnel preventing unwanted reactions.
Tripod
Safety first: It is advised that the teacher
stand Beaker should add a drop of sulfuric acid. Handle
sulfuric acid very carefully!
Burner Laboratory 3. Gradually, add more copper
stand sulfate until the solution becomes
saturated (Fig. 5.8a).
(a) Preparing the saturated (b) Filtering the hot saturated 4. Filter the hot solution to remove
solution solution insoluble impurities (Fig. 5.8b).
Collect it in a clean beaker and
Watch cover it with a watch glass.
glass
Watch 5. Allow the solution to cool slowly
glass without disturbing it (Fig. 5.8c). It
Beaker gives enough time to the particles
Copper
sulfate in the solution to come together,
crystals resulting in the formation of
larger, shiny, well-shaped and
Filtrate blue-coloured crystals.
(c) Cooling down the filtrate (d) Crystals of copper sulfate 6. Filter the crystals, rinse them with
Fig. 5.8: Steps involved in the process of crystallization
cold water and allow them to dry
on a watch glass (Fig. 5.8d).

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 Exploring Mixtures and their Separation 79

You may also try:

1. Place 1 – 2 mL of the saturated copper sulfate solution on a small glass
plate or a lamination sheet.
2. Leave it for some time. What do you observe?
Did you get crystals? If yes, is this a good way to experiment? Explain.
Crystallization is a common technique for separating pure substances
(crystals) from homogeneous mixtures. When new compounds are prepared,
they are often accompanied by unwanted impurities. Crystallization helps
to separate the desired pure substance from the undesired impurities.

Think as a Scientist
If a hot, saturated solution of copper sulfate is cooled rapidly in ice-cold water, smaller and less
well-formed crystals will form than if it is cooled slowly at room temperature. How would you
design and perform an experiment to test this hypothesis?
Hint: Prepare a hot saturated solution of copper sulfate and divide it into two equal parts.

Pause and Ponder

4. Refer to the solubility curves given in Activity 5.2. If equal masses of hot, saturated solutions
of compounds ‘A’ and ‘B’ are cooled from 80 °C to 60 °C, which solution is likely to deposit
more solid?
5. Will there be any change in the size of common salt crystals if the rate of evaporation is
increased or decreased? Explain.

Activity 5.4: Let us describe a process

Observe Fig. 5.9, it shows how salt crystals are obtained from seawater.
Can you describe the process in your own words?

Saturated
Seawater Salt crystals
solution

Fig. 5.9: Steps followed in the salt manufacturing process

Ready to Go Beyond
Have you visited a place where large
crystal deposits can be observed in nature?
Such crystals can be found in various
locations, including mines, caves and even
within the Earth’s crust. One such example
is the Mawsmai Cave (Fig. 5.10a) in Sohra
(Cherrapunji), known for its fascinating
natural formations. Quartz (Fig. 5.10b) is
also one of the beautiful crystals found in
nature.
(a) (b)
Fig. 5.10: Naturally occurring crystals (a) in caves and (b) quartz

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 India’s Scientific When we allow a solvent to evaporate to get a solute,
Contributions such as salt from a salt solution, the solvent disappears.
However, we may also want to recover the solvent. What
Crystallization of salt was
should we do then?
an ancient process used
by the local communities While experimenting in the laboratory, a student
of the coastal areas in accidentally mixed acetone and water, two miscible
India. The panga salt liquids. How can we separate the two miscible liquids? Is it
was obtained by boiling possible to separate the mixture of two miscible liquids by
concentrated sea brines, evaporation and obtain both the liquids?
while the evaporation
of sea water produced 5.3.2 Distillation
the karkatch salt. Salt
A homogeneous mixture of two miscible liquids can be
crystals of different sizes
were produced by these
separated by heating the mixture until the liquid with
methods. the lower boiling point vaporises. The vapour is then
cooled, turning back into liquid (Fig. 5.11). This process
is known as distillation. It allows the recovery of the
solvent or the separation of liquids that differ in boiling
Liquid point by at least about 25 °C. This method can also be
used to separate a liquid from a solution containing
Heating dissolved solids.
Vapour During the process, vapours of the lower-boiling liquid
are passed through a condenser where they are cooled,
Cooling usually by circulating water or air and condensed as
Liquid a pure liquid. The pure liquid is collected in a separate
(Distillate) vessel, while the solid or other liquid from the mixture
Fig. 5.11: Distillation process remains in the distillation flask. A distillation set-up is
shown in Fig. 5.12.

Thermometer

Water outlet
Laboratory
stand
Water
condenser
Distillation flask
Water inlet
Mixture of acetone and water
Wire gauze

Tripod stand

Burner Conical flask

Acetone

Fig. 5.12: Distillation set-up

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 Exploring Mixtures and their Separation 81

A mixture of acetone and water can be separated by distillation because

their boiling points differ sufficiently. Acetone boils at about 56 °C and
water boils at 100 °C. A large difference in boiling points allows one liquid
to vaporise before the vapours of the other liquid are formed in significant
amount.
India’s Scientific Contributions
The process of distillation has been used for a long time for
various purposes, including extraction of fragrances from
flowers to make perfumes.
You must have noticed the pleasant earthy smell that
rises from the ground after the first rain. In Kannauj, a
town in Uttar Pradesh known as the perfume capital of
India, this beautiful fragrance is captured and turned into
a natural perfume called Mitti ka Ittar (earthy fragrance).
This perfume is made using a traditional distillation method
known as the Deg-Bhapka method (Fig. 5.13), which has
been passed down through generations in Kannauj. It is
in great demand, both in India and around the world. The
Fig. 5.13: Deg-Bhapka method
Fragrance and Flavour Development Centre in Kannauj
has facilities for separating flavour and fragrance components from flowers, leaves and other parts
of plants. It also supports farmers in cultivating fragrance-producing plants and offers expertise to
those looking to establish their own perfume businesses.

Ready to Go Beyond
A petroleum refinery (Fig. 5.14a) is an industrial unit where crude oil is processed to obtain
various useful petroleum products. Petroleum products are mixtures of useful gases and liquids,
such as petroleum gas, petrol, kerosene, diesel, etc. Crude
petroleum is extracted from the Earth’s crust and separated Petroleum gas
into these different fractions using the process of fractional
distillation (Fig. 5.14b). Fractional distillation is the process
of separating components of a mixture with relatively Petrol
small differences (less than 25 °C) in their boiling points.
The gaseous fraction is filled in steel cylinders under high
pressure, where it gets liquefied. It is used as domestic fuel
Aviation fuel
in the form of Liquefied Petroleum Gas (LPG).
(Kerosene)

Diesel
Crude
oil
Lubricating oil

Furnace

Bitumen

(a) (b)
Fig. 5.14: (a) Petroleum refinery, and (b) products of fractional distillation of crude petroleum

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 Threads of 5.3.3 Paper Chromatography
Curiosity Have you ever observed what happens when a drop of water
The word ‘chromatography’ falls on something written with a sketch pen on a paper? You
comes from the Greek may have noticed that the colour spreads. If the sketch pen is
words chroma, meaning black, different colours might spread out. If you have not noticed
‘colour’ and graphein, this before, try it now!
meaning ‘to write’. It
actually means ‘writing
Activity 5.5: Let us investigate
with colour’ because it 1. Take a 3 cm wide strip of chromatographic paper and draw
was first used to separate a straight, horizontal line, 2 cm from the bottom of the
coloured substances like paper with a pencil (Fig. 5.15a). Alternatively, you can use a
dyes and inks. strip of filter paper.
2. Mark a spot with a black sketch pen at the centre of the line
(Fig. 5.15b).
3. Take enough water to make a thin
Watch
layer at the bottom of a gas jar, a
glass measuring cylinder, or a beaker.
Chromatographic 4. Place the paper strip with the ink
paper spot vertically into the container,
so that its lower end dips into the
Gas jar water. The water level should
be below the spot, as shown in
Fig. 5.15c.

Line drawn Ink Water 5. Observe the paper as the water rises
with pencil spot through the paper. What do you
notice?
(a) (b) (c)
6. As the water rises, the ink starts to
Fig. 5.15: Paper chromatography separate into different colour spots.
What can you infer from this?
This method of separating the components of a mixture is known as
paper chromatography. It uses differences in the interactions of the
components with the solvent and the paper to separate them. The liquid
carries the substances up the paper, separating them based on how fast
they move. You can also try this with green food colour instead of black ink
and use a 2 % m/v salt solution as the solvent.
Similarly, you can separate different pigments present in the green
extract of spinach leaves or coloured pigments from the flower petals. Will
water work as a solvent in every case? In some cases, you may need to use
a different solvent, such as alcohol or a mixture of solvents.
Pause and Ponder
6. State whether the following statements are True or False. Also, correct the False statements.
(i) Salt can be separated from a salt solution by evaporation or distillation.
(ii) Distillation can be used for separation of two liquids even when these have the same
boiling point.
(iii) In paper chromatography, the solvent level should be above the sample spot at the
beginning of the experiment.
(iv) Evaporation and crystallization are the same processes.

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