How can you seperate a mixture of sand and bits of plastic foam?

Answer 1

This would be a two stage process. Mechanical separation, such as a screening box, will serve to remove the objects larger than the sand and salt. Once accomplished, put the remaining mixture into a clear glass tube, and lay it horizontally on a rotating bed and allow it to run at about 10-60 rpm. Shortly you will see it self-divide into alternating rings of salt and sand all down it's length. Separate the rings mechanically (by hand).

The reason salt and sand will self-divide is because the grains have slightly different sizes and friction characteristics, so they sort themselves according to their ability to "flow", rather than similarities. Anything that flows at a different rate is pushed out of the ring to an area where it matches the rate of flow. It makes a very nice classroom demonstration.

Alternately you could "solve" the problem by adding water. Since sand is insoluble, it will remain behind as the salt dissolves. If you need to recover the salt after separation, simply boil the water off and salt will be left as a deposit.

Answer 2

== == Add water to the mixture (to dissolve the salt), then filter. The solids left are the sand and the styrene (the salt is dissolved in the water, so it's separated). Then add a non-water-miscible organic solvent (personally I'd use chloroform since it is so hydrophobic!) to the remaining solids (to dissolve the styrene...likes dissolve likes, and the styrene is organic) and filter. The solids left are the sand, the styrene is dissolved in the organic solvent, and the salt is in the water... Or you can add chloroform and water to the solids, shake vigorously, filter it, then separate the chloroform and water in a separate funnel...you get the same results with one less step! The polystyrene will always float, so you can scoop it off the surface of the water.

Answer 3

the simplest method to separate salt and sand is by adding the mixture in water and then filtering it.then u get sand and salt water.afterwards evaporate the salt water and u get the remaining salt.

Dissolve the mixture of sand & salt in water. Salt will dissolved and the sand will not. Filter this through filter paper, Sand will remain on the filter paper, whereas the salt solution will filter out. Dry the filterate by evaporating the water,the salt remain left. By this the sand & salt will separate out.

Answer 4

You can separate the two substances by taking advantage of the property of buoyancy. Polystyrene floats on water, while sand sinks. By putting the mixture into a water bath, the polystyrene is easily skimmed from the surface.

Answer 5

Follow these steps and hopefully the sand and salt will become separated

1. Add water to the salt and sand mixture
2. Stir the mixture readily ( this will dissolve the salt into the water)
3. Pass the salty water/sand mixture through a filter paper. The sand will not pass through the filter paper and will be left out on the filter paper.
4. Dry the filter paper in the open to get sand.
5. The residue ( the salty water that has passed through the filter paper) can now be heated. Heat the mixture till all the water boils off. A white solid crystalline layer will be left, that is your salt.

Answer 6

Take a statically charged person, and wave his/her hand over the mixture.

Answer 7

remove the bits of foam