A beaker contains a mixture of sand and salt. A student adds water to dissolve the salt. Which processes can be used to separate out the sand and salt?

Question

filtration to collect both the sand and the salt

distillation to collect both the sand and the salt

distillation to collect the sand and filtration to collect the salt

filtration to collect the sand and distillation to collect the salt

Answer 1

To separate the mixture of sand and salt after dissolving the salt in water, the appropriate methods would be:

1. Filtration to collect the sand: The sand, being insoluble in water, will remain as a solid in the filter paper while the saltwater solution passes through.

2. Distillation to collect the salt: The dissolved salt can be recovered from the saltwater solution by heating it to evaporate the water. As the water evaporates, the salt will be left behind in the distillation container.

Therefore, the correct answer is:

Filtration to collect the sand and distillation to collect the salt.