The purpose of this lab was to have students separate a mixture of sand, salt,
and iron. This would reinforce the
definition of a mixture and also have students design a procedure for an
experiment. Students calculated percent error
based on what they started with to the addition of each part when
recovered. The best way to do this was to:
1. Use a magnet to
pull out the iron.
2. Use water to dissolve the salt from the sand.
3. Use a hot plate to evaporate the water, leaving the salt.
Most groups ended up with more mass than they started with. This was most likely due to not allowing the sand to dry throughly.