You are provided with a mixture containing sand, iron filings, ammonium chloride and sodium chloride. Describe the procedures you would use to separate these constituents from the mixture?

Question

Philoid · Accepted Answer

Step 1: Remove iron filings with the help of magnet
Keep the mixture on a paper. Move a bar magnet many times over the mixture. Iron filings get attracted to the magnet and hence get separated.
Step 2: Remove ammonium chloride from sand and sodium chloride by sublimation
The remaining mixture is transferred to China dish and subjected to sublimation. Ammonium chloride will get vaporized and change into vapours and on condensation will form NH₄CI(s). Sand and sodium chloride will be left in China dish.
Step 3: Remove sand from sodium chloride by filtration after dissolution
Dissolve the sand and sodium chloride in water. Sodium chloride will dissolve. Filter the solution. Sand will be left as residue and is separated.
Step 4: Get sodium chloride by evaporation or crystallization
Sodium chloride is present in the filtrate. So, evaporate the filtrate to dryness to get sodium chloride back or use the crystallization method.