Can someone help me with my experiment?

Question

I have to design a process to separate nails, sand and sugar that have been mixed together. I only need to end up with the sand and the nails. I'm going to use a magnet to remove the nails and then I'm going to add hot water to the sand and sugar to dissolve the sugar. But now I'm not to sure how to separate the sand from the water. I was thinking of using filter paper but I don't have any so I was wondering if I boiled the water and sand mixture if the water would evaporate and I would be left with sand?

Answer 1

You really want to filter it. If you boil the mixture, assuming you don't burn/char everything when the liquid gets really low, eventually you'll be left with sugar and sand. The sugar won't evaporate and as the water evaporates, the sugar will return to its solid state -- or char, depending! If you use filter paper while the sugar is in liquid form, it will pass through the pores in the paper, but the sand will not.

Answer 2

yes, or just pour off the water and let the sand dry  

Answer 3

Hey, you can use magnet to get the nails. But why water to separate sugar? As you don't need sugar you can give it to ANTS! Get some ants to get rid of the sugar! They will love it and it is easy compared with dissolving it out. And if you boil out the water you will get the sugar also. [Salt is separated from water by evaporating water]

Answer 4

The water would take a long time to evaporate. Even then, the sugar wouldn't evaporate and you would be left with everything except the nails mixed together. (Good idea with using magnets to separate the nails!) If the sand and sugar are different sizes, you could try to sift them. Or you could do something to the sugar to make it sticky. . . then pick it up without picking up the sand.  

Answer 5

1. Regarding the nails, a magnet will work if they are iron/steel, but not aluminum, which make up some nails today. If they are Al, screen the mixture to remove the nails.

2. Your approach to removing the sugar is good...just make certain that you wash the sand well to remove all traces of sugar. Slurry it with fresh water several times, and pour the water off. Then simply dry the wet sand...in an oven...letting it dry in the sun...etc.

ADDED LATER

BTW you don't need filter paper to remove water from sand...it is coarse enough that a piece of fine cloth will do.  Tie a piece around the opening of a bucket (beaker, whatever) and pour the slurry into that.  Can use the same set-up when you wash the sand as discussed above.