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
Place the mixture of sand and salt into a bowl and carefully observe the mixture. Describe your observations below.
2. Add about 1 cup of water. Mix the solution thoroughly. Describe the solution below.
3. Carefully pour the slurry through a coffee filter and keep the liquid that passes through the coffee filter in a baking dish. Carefully pour another cup of clean water, a little at a time, through the filter paper to wash the solid contained in the filter paper.
a. Describe the contents of the coffee filter.
b. Describe the liquid. Did any of the solid pass through the filter?
4. Set the filter aside and allow the filter and its contents to
