Concept preview

What you will be able to do

1. 01Explain how separation methods exploit differences in physical properties
2. 02Match a mixture to an appropriate separation method
3. 03Describe filtration, distillation, extraction and chromatography

Every physical separation method takes advantage of a difference in the physical properties of the substances in a mixture — techniques that rely on chemical differences make new substances and are not counted here. The property you exploit decides the method: a size difference suggests hand-picking or sieving, a magnetic difference suggests a magnet, a boiling-temperature difference suggests distillation, a solubility difference suggests extraction or recrystallization, and a density difference suggests gravity separation.