Lab 1-3: Seperation of a mixture

In this lab "Separation of a mixture" you begin by mixing sand, salt, and iron filings with a total mass close to 50 grams. Next you need to make a procedure to separate the mixture with a purpose of "determining" the amounts of components withing the mixture. To separate the homogeneous mixture my group began to separate the iron using a magnet to pull the filings out of the mixture. After we measure its mass we then add water to the remaining mixture. We mixed the water thoroughly with the salt and sand so the salt would dissolve leaving only the sand to be filtered through. Using the filter paper we then separate the sand and measure its mass. Lastly we placed the beaker filled with the remaining mixture on a hotplate this caused the water to evaporate leaving only salt behind that you then scrape from the beaker to measure its mass.

1.Mass's required through this experiment may be different then beginning mass measured. This can be because during the separation some amounts of sand was picked up with the iron filings with the magnet or when straining the sand some salt was left behind this can change measurements. 
2.To make separations more accurate we could have done required processes twice, using the magnet and and filter the sand from saltwater a second time.
3.The final answers required was rounded to three digits, this is because the beginning mass we measured contained three digits.

In relation with class topics and discussions this lab help establish an understanding of homogeneous and heterogeneous mixtures. How the salt and water bonded and could only be separated by heat from the hot plate demonstrate a homogeneous mixture. The rest of the mixture that could be separated by a magnet or filter paper show a heterogeneous mixture and how the particles do not attract making it easier to separate them from the mixture.