I did a lab in chemistry about weighing table salt and sand and mixing it with water and pouring it through a funnel.

Question

One of my lab quetions was, What are some possible sources of error in this activity?
First of all, I don't know what this question means. Can anyone please help me?

Answer 1

sources of error can include human errors made by you during the experimentation or your surroundings which may have affected your outcome.

Answer 2

Could weighing the substances wrong be a source of error?

Answer 3

Yes.

Also, did you lose anything in pouring the mixture through a funnel?

Answer 4

You have not clarified what the procedure was, nor the object of the lab.

If I guessed correctly, the object is to find the percentage by weight of sand and salt in the mixture.

The sources of error could come from one or many of the following:
0. moisture in the original mixture (e.g. sea salt).
1. accuracy of the balance with which you weigh the samples.
2. Insufficient quantity of water to dissolve all the salt, or inadequate stirring that results in undissolved salt.
3. inadequate extraction of the sand from the filter paper (e.g. some sand particles remain stuck on the paper).
4. If you weigh the salt, error could result from inadequate washing of all the dissolved salt from the filter paper.
5. Human error in manipulations or calculations.

Answer 5

i had the same question