Lab 2: Separating the Mixture

Unit 01 — Cold Snap: A Wilderness Chemistry Mystery  |  Student Name: _______________________  |  Date: ___________
Unit 01 | Lab 2 | Day 3 Separation Techniques & Physical Properties NGSS: HS-PS1-3 | Science & Engineering Practice 3 & 6

Scenario

A supply-shed bin recovered from the investigation contains a jumbled mixture of trail sand, dried beans, and iron filings — evidence that storage bins at Alpine Ridge are not well labeled. You must separate each component using the correct technique. Your goal: select the right tool for each step and understand why it works.

Part 1: Interactive Separation Lab

Iron filings (magnetic)
Trail beans (large)
Sand (small grains)
Progress:
0 of 3 components separated
Original Mixture
Watch components separate as you apply techniques!

Choose a Separation Technique:

Separated Components:

IRON FILINGS — Separated by: not yet separated
TRAIL BEANS — Separated by: not yet separated
SAND — Remains after: other components not yet removed

Part 2: Flowchart Builder

Drag the technique cards below into the correct order (1→2→3) to show the complete separation sequence. Drop them into the numbered slots.

Sieve / Strainer
removes trail beans
Magnet
removes iron filings
Remaining Sand
final component
Step 1
Drop here
→
Step 2
Drop here
→
Step 3
Drop here

Separation Steps Summary

2
Sieve / Strainer — removes trail beans
Beans are too large to pass through; sand particles are small enough.
3
Sand Remains — the final pure component
After removing magnetic and large particles, only fine sand remains.

Analysis Questions

1. Why does the magnet work to remove iron filings but not sand or trail beans?

2. The sieve works based on what physical property of the components?

3. If Epsom salt were dissolved in water with the sand, what additional technique would you add at the end to separate the salt? Explain how it works.

Lab Report