How to Separate Sand, Salt, and Ammonium Chloride?

The process to separate a mixture of sand, salt (sodium chloride), and ammonium chloride involves sublimation, dissolution, and filtration.

Here's a detailed breakdown of the steps:

Steps to Separate Sand, Salt, and Ammonium Chloride:

1. Sublimation (Separating Ammonium Chloride):

   • Ammonium chloride is the key to the first separation because it undergoes sublimation. Sublimation is the process where a solid directly changes into a gas without passing through a liquid phase.
   • Heat the mixture gently in a fume hood or well-ventilated area. Ammonium chloride will sublime, leaving behind sand and salt.
   • Collect the sublimed ammonium chloride by allowing the gas to cool and re-solidify on a cool surface (e.g., a cold finger or watch glass) placed above the mixture.

2. Dissolution (Separating Salt):

   • After sublimation, you'll have a mixture of sand and salt. Salt (sodium chloride) is soluble in water, while sand is not.
   • Add water to the remaining mixture of sand and salt. Use enough water to dissolve all the salt, but avoid excessive amounts.
   • Stir the mixture thoroughly to ensure the salt completely dissolves in the water.

3. Filtration (Separating Sand):

   • Now you have a solution of salt water and insoluble sand.
   • Set up a filtration apparatus using filter paper and a funnel.
   • Carefully pour the saltwater and sand mixture through the filter paper. The sand will be trapped on the filter paper as a residue, and the salt water (filtrate) will pass through.

4. Evaporation (Recovering Salt):

   • You now have salt dissolved in water (the filtrate).
   • To recover the salt, evaporate the water. You can do this by gently heating the salt water in an evaporating dish or beaker.
   • Continue heating until all the water has evaporated, leaving behind solid salt crystals.

5. Drying (Final Step):

   • Dry the separated components (sand and ammonium chloride) in an oven or desiccator to remove any residual moisture. The salt obtained from evaporation should also be dried to remove any remaining water.

Summary Table

Component	Separation Technique	Principle
Ammonium Chloride	Sublimation	Ammonium chloride sublimes upon heating.
Salt (NaCl)	Dissolution/Evaporation	Salt dissolves in water, water is then evaporated
Sand	Filtration	Sand is insoluble in water.

By following these steps, you can effectively separate a mixture of sand, salt, and ammonium chloride into its individual components.