Separation of Powders the Purpose

Separation of Powders

The purpose of this experiment is to test the solubility of salt and sand in water, and determine whether or not salt is soluble, sand is soluble, or both sand and salt are soluble.

What is solubility?

"The solubility of a substance is the amount of that substance that will dissolve in a given amount of solvent. Solubility is a quantitative term. The terms soluble and insoluble are relative. A substance is said to be soluble if more than 0.1 g of that substance dissolves in 100 mL solvent. If less than 0.1 g dissolves in 100 mL solvent, the substance is said to be insoluble or, more exactly, sparingly soluble." (Rogers, 2000). In order for a substance to be considered soluble, it has to be able to be dissolved in a liquid. In this experiment, the substances that are being tested for solubility are sale and sand, and the solvent is water. To determine whether or not the substances are soluble, they will be put through a filtration process, and the insoluble material will be left behind. The filtration process in this experiment will be a coffee filter, which will be secured for stability, and the insoluble material will be collected here.

Reference:

Rogers, E. (2000). Fundamentals in chemistry. Retrieved from http://www.chem.wisc.edu/deptfiles/genchem/sstutorial/Text11/Tx112/tx112.html

Experiment 7

Investigation of a Powder

Look up the following terms and write the definition.

Soluble: Able to be dissolved in, or as if in, liquid -- especially water.

Solute: a dissolved substance

Solvent: a (typically) liquid substance capable of dissolving or dispersing one more substances.

Reference: Merriam-webster dictionary. (n.d.). Retrieved from http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary

List 5 substances that are soluble in water and 5 substances that are NOT soluble in water.

Soluble Substances

Not Soluble

1. Bromide

1. Carbonate

2. Chloride

2. Hydroxide

3. Chlorates

3. Oxide

4. Nitrates

4. Phosphate

5. Sulfates

5. Dichromate

Solids can be removed from solutions by filtration. Filtration is a process that is used to separate an insoluble material from a liquid. A slurry of solid and liquid is poured into the filter paper and the liquid is allowed to pass through the paper while the solid is trapped by the paper. In this lab you will use regular coffee filters to separate solids from the solution. You can support a coffee filter in a funnel, a colander, or anything else you can find in your kitchen that will support the filter and allow the fluids to drain into a pan.

Some of the chemicals in this lab can be an irritant to skin and eyes and cause itching. Make sure that you wear the proper safety gear, e.g. Safety goggles, long sleeves, long pants, and closed toed shoes. Wash your hands after each section.

EXPERIMENTAL PROCEDURE

A.

Sand and Salt Mixture