How To Separate A Mixture Of Sand & Salt

The separation of mixtures is a fundamental science experiment that is performed in many classrooms around the world to teach students the basics of procedures like filtration, heating, and evaporation. When attempting to separate a mixture of sand and salt, you'll need some standard lab equipment like glass containers, filter paper and a bunsen burner.

Step 1

Fill a test tube about half-way with the sand-salt mixture.

Step 2

Pour water into the test tube. Use enough water to completely submerge the sand-salt mixture.

Step 3

Stir or shake the mixture for a few minutes so that the salt dissolves in the water. The sand is insoluble, so it will remain visible.

Step 4

Curl a piece of filter paper into a cone shape and place it in a filter funnel.

Step 5

Pour the mixture through the filter funnel into a crucible or evaporating basin. The filter paper will hold back the sand and only allow the salt solution to pass through it.

Step 6

Place the crucible containing the salt solution on a tripod, and heat the bottom of it with a bunsen burner. After a while, the water will evaporate, leaving only the salt crystals behind.

Step 7

Place the wet filter paper with the sand under a heat lamp or leave it in the sun to dry it out.

Step 8

Scrape the salt crystals out of the crucible. You should now be left with a pile of sand and a pile of salt, having successfully separated the two from the mixture.