How would you separate a mixture of granulated sugar and beach sand of comparable grain size?

Question

Would you add water so the sugar could dissolve, then filter the sand out, then distill the water out? If I'm wrong, can you please tell me what I could do then?

Answer 1

that is the proper way to do it.

Answer 2

That is a brilliant plan...sure, that's what I'd do.

Answer 3

Yes it would work, and hot water is best because it dissolves the sugar easier and quicker.

Another way to do it is far less practical but can be done with the right equipment; distillation. Anything can be distilled, gradually heating the components in a distillation still would eventually seperate the various components, you might end up with more than just sugar and sand, for example, various metalic and non metalic elements that the sand is made from and the component parts of the sugar, if of course the still doesn't get destroyed in the process, you would need a lot of heat for that.

Answer 4

Your plan would work perfectly.

Another option might be to use a tweezer and seperate the grains one at a time, but I think your idea is better.

Answer 5

that is perfect!

but add hot water!

:)

Answer 6

no do what you put, it works.