Introduction

A mixture is a combination of two or more pure substances that retain their

separate chemical identities and properties. Since the amounts of each substance
making up a mixture can be changed, the physical properties of a mixture depend on
its composition. In contrast, the composition of a pure substance is constant, and
thus pure substances have characteristic physical properties that do not change.
Examples of physical properties that can be used to describe pure substances
include solubility, conductivity, magnetism, density, boiling point, and melting point.

When two or more substances is blended together that don’t react chemically, it
will result in a mixture where each component retain its individual property and
identity.

Separations of the components of mixtures are performed in chemistry routinely

and it is a problem frequently encountered by chemist and those who perform the
experiment. The basis of the separation is the fact that each component has a
different set of physical and chemical properties, where each component is pure and
either an element or compound. The properties of every sample of a pure substance
are identical under the same conditions of pressure and temperature.

Each sample melts at the same temperature, boils at the same temperature and
has the same solubility in a given solvent. Techniques that are used in separating
mixtures include the following:

 Extraction: where one substance from a mixture is remove because it has a

greater solubility in a certain solvent.
 Filtration: is the removal of a solid from a liquid by the use of filter paper or other
straining materials.
 Decantation: is the pouring of a liquid from a solid-liquid mixture, leaving the
solid behind.
 Distillation: is the purification of the liquid by heating it to its boiling point, and
then condensing the vapors into the liquid state and collecting the liquid.
 Vaporization: to change into a vapor or to cause something to change into a
vapor, as by the application of heat or by spraying or heating liquid into its
boiling point.

1|Laboratory Experiment 3: Separation of the

Components of a Mixture
  Chromatography: is used for adsorption, where a certain solution or mixtures of
liquids or gases are commonly separated by the distribution of its components
between two phases. The other phase is moving while the other is stationary.

By taking advantage of the unique physical properties of individual components

within a mixture, it should be possible to separate a mixture into its components. For
example, if one component in a mixture of two solids dissolves in water, while a
second component does not, the components can be separated by adding water to
the mixture and then filtering residue.

The experiment will be using the chemical compounds sodium chloride (NaCl)
and ammonium chloride (NH4Cl). The experiment supposed to be dealing with three
chemicals, the other one is silicon dioxide (SiO2), but due to lack of supply, the
experiment will be dealing only two.

Sodium chloride, also known as salt, common salt, table salt or halite, is an ionic
compound with the chemical formula NaCl, representing a 1:1 ratio
of sodium and chloride ions. In a mixture, a sodium chloride can be separated in
many ways. A study by Song Xingfu, Et al (2015) titled “Method for separating
sodium chloride and calcium chloride in alkali preparation waste solution by
crystallization”, the separation process done are distillation and crystallization.
Sodium chloride can also be separated through evaporation, specifically in water like
saltwater.

On the other hand, ammonium chloride undergoes sublimation. When ammonium

chloride is heated, it gets converted into ammonia and hydrochloric acid. Thus, if we heat a
mixture of ammonium chloride and common salt, the former will convert to the
gaseous phase, while the common salt will be left over as solid. The gases can be
collected and cooled to obtain ammonium chloride; thus obtaining the two salts
separately. (Gsenviro, 2018)

In this experiment, the students will separate unknown mixtures of ammonium

chloride and sodium chloride in different ways of separating technique, heating,
which is sublimation and distillation, and the other is decantation.

2|Laboratory Experiment 3: Separation of the

Components of a Mixture
Discovery Questions

This lab experiment asks seeks to answer the following:

1. What compound was removed in:

a) Sublimation?
b) Decantation?
c) Distillation?

2. What is the percentage composition of the mixture?

Objectives

In this experiment, the students should be able to know the process of separation
of mixtures physically. Specifically, they are expected to:

 Perform separation techniques specifically distillation and decantation.

 Observe density and vaporization and quantitatively analyze it.

3|Laboratory Experiment 3: Separation of the

Components of a Mixture
 Methods

The following sets of information below are the overview of this experiment, the
apparatus and equipment needed, and the procedures.

Experiment Overview

The experiment determines which element will be removed in a specific

separation technique. The separation techniques performed were distillation and
decantation.

Apparatus

 Balance- to weigh the glassware and the mixture.

 Evaporating dishes- to be use in boiling the mixture.
 Glass stirring rod- to stir and mix the mixture contained in the evaporating dish.
 100-ml graduated cylinder- to measure the water needed for the distillation.
 Tongs- to be used as the holder for the evaporating dish while boiling.
 Watch glass- to contain the compounds needed to make the mixture and for
decantation.
 Sodium chloride and Ammonium chloride to be mixed and analyze what will be
removed in a certain separation technique.
 Hot plate- to be used as the heating device in the distillation.

Procedures

A. Sublimation

A clean, dry evaporating dish was carefully weighed to the nearest 0.01 g, and
then the evaporating dish containing the sample is also weighed. The weight of the
sample mixture will be calculated by subtracting the two. This weighing is done three
times.

4|Laboratory Experiment 3: Separation of the

Components of a Mixture
 The evaporating dish containing the mixture is placed on a hot plate and heated it
for about 15 minutes until the white fumes were no longer formed.

After 10 minutes, the evaporating dish is removed on the hot plate and gently
stirred the mixture with glass stirring rod. Then they put it back on the hot plate.

Then, the evaporating dish is cooled until it reaches room temperature and then it
is weighed again containing the solid mixture.

B. Decantation

A 25 ml of water is added to the solid and gently stirred for 5 minutes. Then
remove the floating solids and weigh the solution again.

C. Distillation

The remaining mixture and water is distilled until no presence of water remains in
the evaporating dish.

5|Laboratory Experiment 3: Separation of the

Components of a Mixture
 Result

The following table below shows the obtain data from the experiment, the weights
of the samples in three trials.

Table 3.1: Distillation and Decantation

Trial 1 Trial 2 Trial 3

Evaporating dish 111.90 g 111.90 g 111.91 g
Evaporating dish and mixture 114.92 g 114.98 g 114.99 g
Mixture 3.02 g 3.08 g 3.08 g
Evaporating dish and remaining mixture
113.42 g 113.39 g 113.49 g
after heated
Mixture left 1.5 g 1.49 g 1.5 g
Evaporating dish and remaining mixture
113.40 g 113.37 g 113.41 g
after decanted and heated
Remaining mixture 1.48 g 1.47 g 1.42 g

Table 3.2: Observation of the Unknown Mixture

Weight
Observation
Trial 1 Trial 2 Trial 3
The compound sodium
chloride and ammonium
chloride were mixed to
Total Mixture 3.02 g 3.08 g 3.08 g make a 3.0 g unknown
mixture. The mass of each
solid in the 3 g mixture is
unknown.
When the mixture is heated
Mixture after in 500oC for 15 minutes,
1.50 g 1.49 g 1.50 g
heated stinky white fumes
appeared. The heating is

6|Laboratory Experiment 3: Separation of the

Components of a Mixture
 stopped when there are no
white fume is visible. The
mixture now is in white
color with a little black
granules in it
After heating, the mixture is
decanted, poured with 25
mL of water. The black
granules floated, so it is
Mixture after
removed. After removing
decanted and 1.48 g 1.47 g 1.42 g
the floaters, the mixture
heated
with water is heated again,
making the water to
evaporate and the
remaining mixture show up.

The three trials is performed different period. The weight of each compound in
the mixture in the three trials is unknown but the total weight of the mixture in each
trial is 3.0 g.

7|Laboratory Experiment 3: Separation of the

Components of a Mixture
 Discussion

Two compounds were mixed to form a 3.0 g mixture. The Table 3.1 above show
that the weight of the evaporating dishes and the mixture decreased into 1.50 g in
Trial 1, 1.49 g in Trial 2, and 1.50 g in Trial 3 after heating. Hence the weight of the
dish and mixture changed. Then, after decanted then heated for the second time, the
average weight decreases into 1.48 g in Trial 1, 1.47 g in Trial 2, and 1.42 g in Trial
3.

The data can’t be treated like finding the average weight, standard deviation,
percentage error and the like because the each trial is separately performed. That
means there might be difference in the weight of the two compounds mixed to make
the unknown mixture. So, it means that there is also a difference in the percentage
composition of the mixture in each trial, relating to the second discovery question,
asking the percentage composition of the mixture in the dish.

Conclusion

This lab dealt with separation of components of a mixture using distillation and
decantation. In the distillation, white fumes appear when the mixture is heated. The
ammonium chloride was lost when it was evaporated, forming white fumes of
Ammonia (NH3) and HCl, the weight of the evaporating dish with the mixture
decreases into 1.50 g in Trial 1, 1.49 g in Trial 2, and 1.50 g in Trial 3 compared to
its original weight when it is still untouched while the sodium chloride remains after
heated and decanted since no change is observed in the weight after its distillation.
In total, the weight removed in the three separation technique 1.48 g in Trial 1, 1.47
g in Trial 2, and 1.42 g, since the major decrease of weight is only observed in the
first separation process.

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REFERENCES

 College of Dupage, Chem, https://www.coursehero.com/file/11801075/separation-

of-mixture-lab/
 Song Xingfu, Zhang Jie, Yu Jianguo, Xu Xiaoxia, Sun Yuzhu, Wang Wei (2015),
Method for Separating Sodium Chloride and Calcium Chloride in Alkali Preparation
Waste Solution by Crystallization, https://patents.google.com/patent/CN10487624
5A/en
 Gsenviro (2018), What method is used to separate ammonium chloride and
common salt?, https://www.enotes.com/homework-help/what-method-used-
separate ammon ium-chloride-common-1127714

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APPENDIX A

Under Appendix A, the answers to the discovery questions are shown. The
answers are based on the results and conclusion of this lab experiment.

1. What compound was removed in:

a) Sublimation?
Ammonium chloride is sublimated and turn into white fumes. The white
fumes consist of ammonia and hydrochloric acid.
b) Decantation?
In decantation, no compound is removed since no change in weight is
observed during the process.
c) Distillation?
The water added in decantation is distilled until the remaining compound is
left, which is the sodium chloride.

2. What is the percentage composition by mass of the compounds in the

mixture?

Trial 1 Trial 2

%NH4Cl = 50.33% %NH4Cl = 52.27%

%NaCl = 49.67% %NaCl = 47.73%

Trial 3

%NH4Cl = 53.90%

%NaCl = 46.10%

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Components of a Mixture
APPENDIX B

In this section, the raw data of the experiment is listed showing the obtain values
in each trials of the experiment.

Trial 1 Trial 2 Trial 3

Evaporating dish 111.90 g 111.90 g 111.91 g
Evaporating dish and mixture 114.92 g 114.98 g 114.99 g
Mixture 3.02 g 3.08 g 3.08 g
Evaporating dish and remaining
113.42 g 113.39 g 113.49 g
mixture after heated
Evaporating dish and remaining
mixture after decanted and 113.40 g 113.40 g 113.41 g
heated
Remaining mixture 1.50 g 1.49 g 1.58 g

11 | L a b o r a t o r y E x p e r i m e n t 3 : S e p a r a t i o n o f t h e
Components of a Mixture
APPENDIX C

Appendix C shows the calculations of data in the experiment. Under these are
conversion of units, formulas, average value, errors, and the like.

Weight of the Mixture

114.92-111.90=3.02 114.98-111.90=3.08 114.99-111.91=3.07

Remaining Weight of the Mixture after Sublimation

114.92 g-113.42 g=1.5 114.98 g-113.39 g=1.6 114.99 g-113.49 g=1.5

g g

Remaining Weight of the Mixture after Decantation and Distillation

113.42 g-113.40 g=0.02 g 113.39 g-113.40 g=0.01 g 113.49 g-113.41 g=0.08 g

Percentage Composition by Mass

Percent by Mass. Determine the percent by mass of each component in your

mixture using the following formula:

Grams of Component A
% of Component A = x 100
Grams of Original Sample

TRIAL 1

1.52 g
%NH4Cl = x 100 = 50.33%
3.02 g

1.48 g
%NaCl = x 100 = 49.67%
3.02 g

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Components of a Mixture
 TRIAL 2

1.61 g
%NH4Cl = x 100 = 52.27%
3.08 g

1.47 g
%NaCl = x 100 = 47.73%
3.08 g

TRIAL 3

1.66 g
%NH4Cl = x 100 = 53.90%
3.08 g

1.42 g
%NaCl = x 100 = 46.10%
3.08 g

13 | L a b o r a t o r y E x p e r i m e n t 3 : S e p a r a t i o n o f t h e
Components of a Mixture
APPENDIX D

Under this appendix are the documentation during the experiment.

Rozen Cancejo is scooping the

compounds for the experiment to
make the unknown mixture

The upper right evaporating dish

contains the compound sodium
chloride while the below contains
ammonium.

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Components of a Mixture