| Separation technique | What is it used to separate? | Method | Real life applications | | --- | --- | --- | --- | | Decantation | Insoluble solid from solvent, for example soil and water | Allow the mixture to settle out and pour off the liquid into another beaker. | Cooking, pouring water | | Separating Funnel | Two immiscible liquids, for example oil and water | Pour both liquids into a separating funnel. Allow the liquids to settle. Open the tap to allow denser liquid to flow through. Close tap when all dense liquid has been removed. | Separating immiscible liquids in the lab | | Evaporation | Soluble solid from a solvent, for example salt and water | Pour solution into the evaporating basin. Heat over the bunsen burner until all liquid has been removed. | Cooking - water boiled off thicken sauces | | Filtration | Insoluble solid from solvent, for example sand and water | Mix solid and liquid in a beaker. Pour through filter paper. Collect filtrate. Residue remains in filter paper | Coffee machines, car engines | | Distillation | Two liquids with different boiling points, for example ethanol and water | Place solution in round bottomed flask. Seal with rubber bung and thermometer. Turn on the tap to ensure cold water flows through the liebig condenser. Heat flask over the bunsen burner at desired temperature until all distillate has been collected | Obtain pure drinking water from sea water | | Chromatography | Colours from a mixture, for example colours in food colouring | Pencil line with ruler on bottom of paper. Drops of known and unknown mixtures on pencil lines. End of the paper dipped in solvent. Leave until solvent has almost reached top of paper | Identify the presence of different food colourings | | Recrystallization | Impure solid, for example impure aluminium | Heat the solution in a beaker over a bunsen burner until it reaches boiling point. Filter solution while still hot | Purification of solids, for example in the production of tablets such as aspirin |
