You are worried that a solid substance has dissolved in a beaker of water in a lab. What would be a way to separate the substance from the water?(1 point)

Question

Responses

Pass the solution through a filter to let the dissolved substance separate.
Pass the solution through a filter to let the dissolved substance separate.

Pour the liquid along a rough surface that would catch the solid particles but not the water.
Pour the liquid along a rough surface that would catch the solid particles but not the water.

Boil the water away, leaving the substance behind in the beaker.
Boil the water away, leaving the substance behind in the beaker.

Answer 1

The most effective way to separate a solid substance that has dissolved in water is to boil the water away, leaving the substance behind in the beaker. This method works because it takes advantage of the difference in boiling points between the solvent (water) and the dissolved solid. Once the water evaporates, the solid will remain in the beaker.

The first option, filtering, would not separate a dissolved substance, as dissolved solids pass through the filter along with the water. The second option, pouring along a rough surface, also would not effectively capture a dissolved solid. Thus, boiling the water is the best choice in this scenario.