Separation techniques are physical methods used to isolate individual
substances from a mixture based on their unique physical properties like
particle size, boiling point, or solubility. Because mixtures are not chemically
combined, they can be broken down into pure components without altering
their chemical identities.
Core Concepts & Terms
Mixture: Two or more substances combined physically but not chemically.
Solute: The solid substance that gets dissolved (e.g., salt).
Solvent: The liquid that dissolves the solute (e.g., water).
Solution: A clear mixture formed when a solute completely dissolves in a solvent.
Suspension: A cloudy mixture containing insoluble solid particles floating in a liquid.
1. Separating Insoluble Solids from Liquids
Filtration
Purpose: Separates an insoluble solid from a liquid.
Property Used: Difference in particle size.
Process: The mixture passes through filter paper. The paper pores trap the larger solid
particles, while the liquid passes through seamlessly.
Key Terms:
o Residue: The solid caught in the filter paper.
o Filtrate: The liquid that passes through into the flask.
Example: Separating sand from water.
Decantation
Purpose: A quick, basic way to separate heavy insoluble solids from a liquid.
Property Used: Difference in density.
Process: The heavy solid is left to settle at the bottom of the container. The clear top
liquid layer is carefully poured off into another vessel.
Example: Pouring water off muddy rice.
2. Separating Soluble Solids from Solutions
Evaporation
Purpose: Recovers a dissolved solid solute from its solvent when you do not need to save
the liquid.
Property Used: Liquid has a lower boiling point than the solid.
Process: The solution is heated steadily in an evaporating dish. The liquid changes state
into a gas and escapes into the air, leaving behind solid crystals.
Example: Obtaining salt from seawater.
Crystallisation
Purpose: Obtains pure, well-formed crystals from a dissolved solid solution.
Property Used: Solubility decreases as temperature drops.
Process: Heat the solution to evaporate most of the liquid until it becomes saturated. Stop
heating and allow it to cool slowly. Crystals will slowly grow out of the solution and can
then be filtered.
Example: Making copper(II) sulphate crystals.
3. Separating Liquids from Liquids or Solutions
Simple Distillation
Purpose: Recovers both a pure liquid solvent from a solution or separates two liquids
with vastly different boiling points.
Property Used: Large difference in boiling points.
Process: The mixture is heated to its specific boiling point. The volatile liquid turns to
vapour, passes into a Liebeg condenser where it cools back into liquid, and drips safely
into a collection flask.
Key Term:
o Distillate: The pure collected liquid.
Example: Extracting pure drinking water from salty water.
Fractional Distillation
Purpose: Separates miscible liquids that dissolve completely into each other.
Property Used: Small, close differences in boiling points.
Process: A fractionating column packed with glass beads is fixed above the heating flask.
The liquid with the lower boiling point escapes up the column first while the other
condenses on the beads and falls back down. Once the first liquid finishes distilling, the
temperature rises to boil the next one.
Example: Separating ethanol from water, or refining crude oil.
Decanting using a separating Funnel
Purpose: Separates immiscible liquids (liquids that do not mix and form distinct layers).
Property Used: Differences in liquid density.
Process: Pour the mixture into a separating funnel and let it stand. The denser liquid sinks
to the bottom layer. Open the stopcock tap to run the bottom layer out into a beaker, then
close it before the top layer can escape.
Example: Separating cooking oil and water.
4. Specialized Separation Techniques
Paper Chromatography
Purpose: Separates a mixture of solutes dissolved in the same solvent.
Property Used: Differences in solubility and affinity for the paper.
Process: Place a tiny dot of the mixture on a pencil-drawn baseline on filter paper. Dip
the bottom edge of the paper into a solvent. As the solvent seeps up the paper by capillary
action, components travel up at different speeds based on how soluble they are, creating
separate spots.
Example: Separating coloured dyes in black ink.
Leave space for a diagram
Magnetic Separation
Purpose: Separates a magnetic substance from non-magnetic materials.
Property Used: Ferromagnetism.
Process: Run a magnet over the mixture. The magnetic particles fly up and stick to the
magnet, leaving the rest behind.
Example: Isolating iron filings from sulphur powder or sand.
Sublimation
Purpose: Separates a mixture of two solids where one changes directly from a solid to a
gas without melting first.
Property Used: Ability to sublime.
Process: Gently heat the solid mixture. The subliming solid turns to gas, rises, and hits a
cool surface where it deposits back into pure solid crystals.
Example: Separating iodine or ammonium chloride from sodium chloride.
Summary Checklist for Exam Practice
Best Real-
Type of Separation World
Mixture Technique Example
Insoluble Filtration Sand
solid + and
liquid water
Soluble Evaporation / Salt
solid + Crystallisation from
liquid water
(save
solid)
Soluble Simple Pure
solid + Distillation water
liquid from
(save seawate
liquid) r
Immiscibl Separating Oil and
e liquids Funnel water
(layers)
Miscible Fractional Ethanol
liquids Distillation and
(close water
boiling
points)
Soluble Paper Ink
coloured Chromatograp pigment
dyes hy s