Separating Mixtures Lab

   In class we were able to separate items from a cup.  The materials that were given to use were a spoon, a graduated beaker and cylinder, a magnet, on piece of filter paper, a pipette, and a heat plate.  The items that were in the cup were: 2 red toothpicks, iron, beans, water, salt, sand, and a clear pebble.  Here is a step-by-step guide to tell you how to remove the items from the cup.

1) Examine the cup to see where each item is in the cup.  

2) With your hands, reach into the cup and take out the two toothpicks.  Put them down on the tray to dry.

This should be an easy step because the toothpicks are very visible.  In addition, the sticks are very tall so they are above the water therefore they should be even easier to reach.  

3) Pick up the magnet and put it into the cup. Wait a few seconds for the iron which is in the water, to attract to the magnet.  After a few seconds, pick up the magnet and the iron should be stuck onto the magnet.  Use the spoon to wiped off the iron from the magnet into the tray.  Repeat this step until all iron is remove from the cup.

4) Using the spoon, scoop out the clear pebble that inside the cup.  The pebble is all the way, at the bottom of the cup so at first glance it might be hard to scoop it out.  Put the pebble onto the tray.  

5) Next us the spoon again to scoop out the beans in the cup.  Take out all the beans with the spoon and put it onto the table.  At this point, it is okay to take out the sand that might get in your way.  However, make sure all the beans are out.

6) Now you will filter your water.  Fold your filter paper so that it is a cone shaped.  Next put the cone shaped filter into the graduated beaker.  Poor everything down the cup so that the sand and water will separate.  Once done, the water and sand should finally be separated.  

7) At this point you should have discovered 6 items and there should be nothing in the cup.  The only substance you should see is the water which is in the beaker.  At this point, it looks like there is nothing in the  beaker but the last item is in the water.  Plug in the heater into an outlet and put the beaker(which has water in it) onto it.  In minutes the water should begin to boil and soon evaporate.  The only object left in the beaker now is salt.  Salt is the last item in list.

8)  Now at your lab should be seven items which were once all in the cup.  The toothpicks, iron, a clear pebble, beans, sand, water and salt.  

9) After the beaker is cooled down clean up lab.