All Mixed Up!: Separating Mixtures

Add to list Go to activity
Activity link broken? See if it's at the internet archive
Visitors separate a mixture of pebbles, salt crystals, and wood shavings by adding water and pouring the mixture through a strainer. The pebbles are left behind in the beaker; the wood shavings are caught by the strainer; and the salt (dissolved in the water) flows through. Visitors learn that they can often separate mixtures by taking advantage of the different physical properties of the components. They also learn that evaporation can be used to isolate a substance from a solution.

Quick Guide

Preparation Time:
30 to 45 minutes
Learning Time:
Under 5 minutes
Estimated Materials Cost:
$1 - $5 per group of students
Age Range:
Ages 6 - adult
Resource Types:
Activity, Experiment/Lab Activity
Language:
English

Keywords

Subjects

  • Engineering and Technology
    • Engineering
      • Chemical Engineering
    • Technology
  • Physical Sciences
    • Chemistry
    • States of Matter
      • Solids
      • Liquids
      • Gases
      • Changes of Phase
    • Structure and Properties of Matter
      • Mass and Weight
      • Volume and Density
  • Life Sciences
    • Human Body
  • The Nature of Science
    • Science and Society
  • The Nature of Technology
    • Technology and Society
      • Technology and the Environment

Audience

To use this activity, learners need to:

  • see
  • read

Learning styles supported:

  • Involves hands-on or lab activities

Other

Components that are part of this resource:

This resource is part of:

Access Rights:

  • Free access

By:

Rights:

Funding Source:

  • National Science Foundation