1. Topic
The separation challenge!
Level
GCSE (or for students aged 11-16)
Outcomes
To separate a mixture containing iron, sulfur, sand and two solid food dyes into its components
Instructions for teachers: this challenge should be used after you have taught separating techniques. Students are given a range of equipment (slide 5) and then work in pairs to solve the problem. Sulfur floats! Marks are awarded according to slide 6. There is an additional help sheet to support students with carrying out the chromatography step.
| resources for science teachers who like to think

2. Separation Challenge!
Introduce the challenge

3. How many substances are in my mixture?
Oops, I have a problem
How many substances are in my mixture?

4. Your mission: Separate the mixture into its ? different substances.
Iron filings
Sulfur
Sand
Food colourings ?

5. You will be given: Plastic freezer bag (small) Magnet Filter paper
Filter funnel
Spatula
Stirring rod
250 ml beaker x 2
Tongs
100 ml water in a wash bottle
Magnifying glass
Splint
Paperclip
Chromatography paper cut to size
3 small weighing boats
Marker pen
Measuring cylinder 50 ml

6. At the end of the challenge you should have:
The iron, sand and sulfur in three plastic pots labelled with your names (2 marks)
Have a clear chromatogram (4 marks)
A tidy desk at the end (2 marks)
We will weigh the mass of iron filings you have separated (4 marks)

7. 5 minutes! Thinking and planning time: How will you do the separation?
In what order should you do the separation?
Which equipment will you use?
How will you do the chromatography?
 Top Tip! plan out what you are going to do on a piece of rough paper
Too much time and help?

8. 20 minutes
Get separating!
Iron filings
Sulfur
Sand
Food colourings