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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 Exploring Mixtures and their Separation 83

5.4 How Can We Separate the Components of

Heterogeneous Mixtures?
5.4.1 Separation of two immiscible liquids
You have learnt about non-uniform mixtures. Have you noticed what Grade 8

happens when water falls into a container that has oil? The oil and water Curiosity
Chapter 9
form separate layers. They do not mix and are called immiscible liquids.
Similarly, sand and water do not mix, nor do iron filings and sulfur. These
are examples of heterogeneous mixtures.
How can you separate the components of a mixture of two immiscible
liquids?
Let us try to separate mustard oil from water.
Activity 5.6: Let us separate print
1. Pour a mixture of 5 mL mustard oil and and where are
# -
Laboratory stand
20 mL water into a 50 mL separating the

funnel.
2. Let it stand undisturbed. What do you Separating funnel
observe? Mustard oil
3. You will see the formation of two separate
layers of mustard oil and water (Fig. 5.16). Water
The yellow-coloured mustard oil forms the Stopcock
upper layer and water forms the lower
layer. Can you explain why?
4. Open the stopcock of the separating funnel Conical flask
slowly to collect the lower layer of water
carefully into a container.
Glass stopper
5. Close the stopcock when the water is almost
fully drained. Fig. 5.16: Separation of immiscible liquids
6. Collect the next small portion that may
contain both liquids and discard it.
7. Collect the layer of oil separately by opening the stopcock again.
You now have two separate liquids.
Can you think of any heterogeneous mixtures with a gas as
one of the components?
Gas particles are free to move in all directions, so they mix

-geimp
easily and uniformly with other gases. Hence, most mixtures of
gases are homogeneous, such as a mixture of hydrogen and
*
oxygen, which is used as a rocket fuel. On the other hand, smoke
-
What if …
(solid particles suspended in air), fog (tiny liquid water droplets
present in air) and dust in the air are some heterogeneous two immiscible liquids
mixtures with gas as one of the components. of the same density are
mixed in a separating
Most of the solid-solid mixtures are heterogeneous. You
funnel, how will the
can use a property of one of the solids to separate the mixture. layers form?
You have learnt how to separate iron nails from sawdust Grade 6
using a magnet. Now, let us explore another technique to Chapter Curiosity
9
separate solid-solid mixtures.
 Naphthalere
eni
Tinpsarid
o
5.4.2 Sublimation sublimation

Activity 5.7: Let us explore

1. Take a spatula full of the mixture containing crushed camphor and
sand. Put it into a clean and dry china dish. Place it on the tripod stand
using a wire gauze.
2. Take a clean and dry glass funnel. Plug its
Cotton plug
nozzle with cotton.
Glass funnel 3. Keep this funnel inverted on the china dish
and set up the apparatus as shown in Fig. 5.17.
4. Light the burner and place it under the wire
China dish containing gauze.
mixture of camphor and
5. Heat the china dish gently for a few minutes.
sand
6. Observe the inner wall of the funnel carefully.
Wire gauze
Do you notice any solid deposits?
7. You may find white, solid camphor deposits
Tripod stand on the inner wall of the funnel while sand
remains in the china dish.
Burner Camphor, on heating (below its melting point),
changes directly from the solid state to the vapour
state without passing through the liquid state, this
Fig. 5.17: Sublimation of camphor process is called sublimation. On cooling, vapours
condense back into a solid without becoming a
liquid, this is called deposition. Hence, camphor sublimes and separates
from sand because sand does not sublime on heating.
You can also perform this activity using any other sublimable substance,
such as naphthalene, in place of camphor.
Similarly, solid carbon dioxide, known as dry ice which is used for ice
cream storage, also undergoes sublimation. Can you think of any other
mixtures where sublimation can be used to separate the components?
Is it possible to dissolve one metal in another?
Metals do not dissolve into each other at room temperature. However,
when metals are melted at high temperatures, they can be mixed to form a
solution. When such a hot mixture of two or more metals cools, it solidifies
into a new material that appears to be a single metal. A homogeneous
mixture of two or more metals, or a metal and a non-metal, is called an
alloy. Physical methods cannot separate the components of an alloy. Alloys
are generally prepared to produce materials that are stronger,
Pause and Ponder more rigid, or more corrosion-resistant. Common examples
of alloys includeπbrass — a mixture of approximately 80%
7. Why do immiscible liquids
form two separate layers copper and 20% zinc; bronze — a mixture of approximately
in a separating funnel? 80% copper and 20% tin; stainless steel — usually a mixture
8. Is sublimation different of iron and other elements, such as carbon (about 0.03 – 0.8%),
from evaporation? Justify. chromium (16 – 18%), nickel (10.0 –14.0%) and molybdenum
Jevv
(2.0 – 3.0%). C *)

84 Exploration|Grade 9
 Exploring Mixtures and their Separation 85

5.4.3 Suspensions
Let us look closely at the container shown in Fig. 5.2. No matter how well
you stir, the sand particles can be seen clearly, unlike in a solution, where
the solute particles are not visible. Such heterogeneous mixtures in which
the solid particles (sand) do not dissolve but remain suspended throughout
the bulk of the medium (water) are called suspensions. In the case of a
suspension, the particles of the undissolved substance are larger in size
than the particles present in the solution. Particles of a suspension are
visible to the naked eye. Some other examples of suspension are sawdust
suspended in water and tea leaves in water.
How can we separate mud from water?
If you leave a container of muddy water undisturbed, the heavier mud
particles settle at the bottom and the water may still appear cloudy. You can
filter the muddy water through a cotton cloth or filter paper. While some
larger particles will be removed, the water often remains cloudy. This shows
that filtration is not always enough to separate tiny particles. If the muddy
water is still not clear even after keeping for some time, how can it be cleaned?
In such cases, we use techniques, such as centrifugation and/or coagulation.
Let us explore these processes!
A. Centrifugation Threads of
Let us understand this by playing a game. Choose a partner. Curiosity
Then, cross your arms and hold each other’s hands as shown The spinning game is a folk
in Fig. 5.18. Now spin around together. Do you feel as if you dance called phugadi in
are being pulled outwards? A similar force helps to separate Marathi and kikli in Punjabi.
a mixture in a tube by centrifugation. This process involves What is this called in your
spinning a mixture in a tube at a high speed (Fig. 5.19). During local language?
centrifugation, the tubes become horizontal and the centrifugal
force (outward force acting on a body moving in circular
motion) causes the heavier particles to move outwards, where
they settle at the bottom of the tube, while the lighter liquid
remains at the top.

Fig. 5.18: A spinning game

(a) (b)
Fig. 5.19: Centrifugation machine (a) outer view and (b) inner view

Centrifugation is widely used in laboratories to separate the

components of blood, such as red blood cells and plasma, and in many
chemical industries.
 Bridging Science and Society

The Paperfuge
Centrifugation is usually done using an electric
machine but by applying ideas from a common Blood sample
toy, a simple hand-powered device called a Tape
paperfuge (Fig. 5.20) can perform the same process
without electricity. By spinning the blood samples String
at a very high speed, the paperfuge separates
heavier components from lighter ones, just like Handle
a laboratory centrifuge. This low-cost tool can Cardboard disc
help detect diseases like malaria and anaemia in
remote areas. Find out more about such simple Fig. 5.20: Paperfuge
technological inventions that improve access to
medical care in remote places.

Activity 5.8: Let us make a model

Make your own centrifuge with a cardboard
disc and thick thread. You will be able to see
Powdered
how the heavier particles move outwards. It
alum
is a fun and hands-on way to understand the
science behind separation. Which mixture
would you like to separate using this mini
centrifuge?
Muddy
些
water
(a) Adding powdered
alum to suspended
(b) Alum coagulates
the suspended
B. Coagulation
Powdered alum (fitkari) can be added to a
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.

impurities in water impurities beaker containing muddy water (Fig. 5.21a).

Alum is a white crystalline chemical
substance often used in water purification.
The alum causes the fine suspended
particles to clump together. This process
is called coagulation and the alum is said
to act as a coagulant (Fig. 5.21b). These
larger clumps thus formed, settle by gravity
Settled impurities (sedimentation), as shown in Fig. 5.21c and
can be separated from water by decantation
(c) Impurities settle at the bottom
or filtration.
Fig. 5.21: Process of coagulation Can you think of any other coagulation
processes used in everyday life?
The formation of cheese (paneer) from milk also involves coagulation,
in which acid (lemon juice or vinegar) is used as a coagulant. It causes the
coagulation of milk proteins, forming cheese.
5.4.4 Colloids
If the components of blood can be separated by centrifugation and the
blood coagulates, is it a suspension? However, we cannot see blood cells
with the naked eye. Is it a solution?
Blood is neither a solution nor a true suspension. It is a colloid. Some
other examples of colloids are milk, tomato sauce and ice cream.

86 Exploration|Grade 9
心
 Exploring Mixtures and their Separation 87

Bridging Science and Society

Donate Blood
Donating blood saves lives. People in emergencies,
during surgeries, or with serious illnesses may need a
blood transfusion, which is the transfer of blood from a Blood sample
healthy person to a patient. Test tube stand
Donated blood is tested and when the blood group
(a)
is identified, it is separated into its components, such as
plasma, platelets, white and red blood cells (Fig. 5.22).
These are stored safely in blood banks and supplied Plasma
when required. In Chapter 3, Tissues in Action, you Platelets and
have learnt that blood connects different parts of the white blood cells
body by transporting nutrients, gases and hormones. Red blood cells
The body replaces the donated blood naturally
within a few weeks, making blood donation safe and (b)
helpful. Fig. 5.22: Components of blood (a) before
Do you know your blood group? Find out! centrifugation and (b) after centrifugation

Let us try to understand what colloids are.

How are they different from solutions and
suspensions? Can you think of some other
substances that could be colloids?
Solutions, suspensions and colloids
(Fig. 5.23) differ mainly in the size of the
dissolved or the suspended particles. The
particle size of a solute is the smallest (less
than 1 nm diameter) in a solution. Colloids (a) (b) (c)
have larger particles (1 – 1000 nm), while
suspensions have much larger particles (more Fig. 5.23: (a) Solution, (b) suspension, and (c) colloid
than 1000 nm in diameter).
Unlike suspension, the particles in a colloid do not settle over time from
the mixture. They are uniformly dispersed throughout the mixture as in
a solution.

5.5 Tyndall Effect

Let us go back to Activity 5.1. What happened to the thin beam of laser
light when it was passed through the beakers containing the mixtures?
You might have observed that the path of the light beam was not visible
in solution A. The particles in suspension B scattered (spread) the beam
of light making its path visible. In mixture C too, the path of light was
visible, indicating that the particles scattered the light, though the mixture
appeared homogeneous.
Have you ever observed light scattering by particles in your
surroundings? The scattering of light by particles is known as the Tyndall
effect. It is called so because it was first explained by the scientist John
Tyndall, who studied the scattering of light by particles.
This effect can also be observed when a fine beam of light enters a dark
room through a small hole. This happens because light gets scattered by
 the dust and smoke particles in the air. You might have also
observed this phenomenon in the floodlights in a sports
stadium (Fig. 5.24). Think of some more examples!
Scattering of light occurs when it passes through a
colloid or a suspension but not when it passes through a
transparent solution.
The components of a colloid are called the dispersed
phase and the dispersion medium. The solute-like component
or the dispersed particles, in a colloid form the dispersed
Fig. 5.24: Demonstration of Tyndall effect in phase and the component in which the dispersed phase is
a sports stadium
suspended is known as the dispersion medium.
Threads of Curiosity

Some common colloids we encounter in our daily lives have both the dispersed phase and the
dispersion medium as liquids. These are called emulsions. Emulsions containing oil and water are
further classified as oil-in-water or water-in-oil, depending on the nature of the dispersed phase
and the dispersion medium. Milk and vanishing creams are common examples of oil-in-water
emulsions, whereas butter, body lotions, cold cream, etc., are examples of water-in-oil emulsions.
Some medicines are prepared as emulsions to disperse them in water and make them easily
palatable. This also reduces the greasy feeling of the liquid medicine.
The presence of emulsifying agents stabilises emulsions. For example, proteins in milk and
butter act as emulsifying agents.
You can make an emulsion by thoroughly mixing and shaking a few drops of cooking oil with
water containing a few drops of soap solution.

Pause and Ponder

9. Clouds are made up of tiny water droplets or ice crystals floating in the air. Based on what you
know about solutions, suspensions and colloids, what type of mixture do you think clouds are
and why?
10. Why do cities with a lot of smoke and dust in the air often look hazy?

Activity 5.9: Complete Table 5.1 and review what you have learnt about
solutions, suspensions and colloids.
Table 5.1: Properties of different types of mixtures

S. No. Property Solution Suspension Colloid

1. Nature (homogeneous/heterogeneous)
2. Particle size

3. Visibility

4. Separation by filtration

5. Settling
6. Tyndall effect

88 Exploration|Grade 9
 Exploring Mixtures and their Separation 89

We use various properties, such as size, density and solubility to separate

mixtures. However, separation is not always simple. Imagine trying to
separate all the ingredients in a lemonade once they have been mixed. Can
you do it?
Do you know that separation happens in nature and in our bodies,
too? For example, our kidneys remove waste from our blood. Today, we
face bigger challenges like cleaning oceans and rivers by removing plastic
waste. It is also essential to treat sewage water before releasing it into the
environment. Sewage treatment involves steps, such as sedimentation,
coagulation and filtration. Clean water obtained in this way can be reused
for flushing toilets or watering plants.
Another important task is sorting or segregating the waste at home. Dry
waste, such as plastic, paper, glass and metal can be recycled, while wet
waste like food scraps, vegetable peels, etc., can be composted. Researchers
are also finding ways to recover valuable materials, such as lithium from
old batteries used in mobile phones and laptops.
By improving the methods for separating waste and recycling materials,
you can help make the world cleaner, healthier and more sustainable.

ta a
y Mixtures are classified as homogeneous or heterogeneous and also
as solutions, suspensions, or colloids.
y Separation of mixtures is a crucial process for obtaining pure
substances.
y Crystallization is a technique used to get a pure solid from its
saturated solution.
y Distillation is used to separate two miscible liquids with a
minimum difference of 25 °C in boiling points. It can also be used
to obtain a liquid from a mixture of a liquid and a solid.
y Paper chromatography can be used to separate compounds by
taking advantage of differences in their rates of movement on the
paper.
y A separating funnel is used to separate two immiscible liquids
based on their different densities.
y The transition of a solid directly into a vapour (below its melting
point) without passing through the liquid state is called sublimation.
The process when the vapour cools and changes back into a solid
without becoming a liquid is called deposition.
y Centrifugation uses rapid spinning to separate heavier solid
particles from a solid-liquid mixture.
y Coagulation involves the addition of a substance, called a coagulant,
to make smaller particles clump together and settle down in a
heterogeneous mixture of solids and liquids.
y The dispersed particles in a colloid or suspension scatter light,
which is known as the Tyndall effect.