Separating Mixtures
PROCEDURALSelect and carry out appropriate separation techniques for different types of mixtures: filtration (insoluble solids), distillation (liquids by boiling point), crystallisation (dissolved solids), and chromatography (coloured substances)
Mastery Evidence
- Selects the correct separation technique for a given mixture with justification
- Describes the steps of simple distillation and explains why it works
- Interprets a chromatography result (Rf values, number of components)
- Explains why filtration removes sand from water but not salt
Assessment Prompt
“If [child] needed to separate salt from sand mixed together in water, could they describe two stages of separation, the equipment needed, and explain why each step works?”
Curriculum Standards1 alignment
KS3.Sci.Chem.PIS.2The national curriculum in Englandmixtures and techniques for separating them: filtration, distillation, crystallisation and chromatography
Prerequisites2
- Separating MixtureshardAges 9—10
- Pure Substances & MixtureshardAges 11—13
Show full prerequisite tree
- Separating Mixtures hard
KS3 advanced separation techniques (distillation, chromatography) extend KS2 filtering and evaporating
- Changes & Separation Vocabulary hard
Separating mixtures by filtering, sieving, and evaporating requires all three separation process terms
- Dissolving & Solutions hard
Must understand dissolving and solutions before choosing separation methods
- Changes & Separation Vocabulary hard
Understanding dissolving and solutions requires 'dissolve', 'solution', 'soluble', 'insoluble' from the process vocabulary node
- Advanced Material Properties hard
Must understand solubility as a property before learning dissolving and recovery in detail
- Testing Materials for Uses soft
Within GB sequence, testing advanced properties supports justifying material choices; US teaches material uses earlier without this prerequisite
- Material Properties Vocabulary soft
Giving evidence-based reasons for material uses draws on conductor, insulator, and other property vocabulary
- Material Properties Vocabulary hard
Grouping materials by hardness, solubility, transparency, conductivity, and magnetic response requires all these property terms
- Choosing the Right Material hard
Must understand material suitability before testing advanced properties like conductivity and solubility
- Material Properties Vocabulary soft
Comparing suitability of materials for uses requires property vocabulary to articulate why one material is better than another
- Grouping Materials hard
Must group materials by properties before evaluating suitability for purposes
- States of Matter Vocabulary soft
Describing physical properties of materials uses solid/liquid/gas vocabulary introduced in the states of matter LANGUAGE node
- Solids, Liquids & Gases soft
Understanding states of matter supports testing properties like solubility
- States of Matter Vocabulary hard
Comparing and grouping materials as solids, liquids, or gases requires the naming vocabulary for the three states
- Drawing Particle Diagrams hard
Comparing and grouping solids, liquids, and gases by properties is greatly aided by the particle diagram representation
- Heating & Cooling Changes hard
Must classify states of matter before understanding changes between states
- States of Matter Vocabulary hard
Describing and measuring changes of state requires solid/liquid/gas vocabulary and the term 'change of state'
- Drawing Particle Diagrams hard
Observing and describing change of state requires reading particle diagrams showing how arrangement changes on heating or cooling
- Grouping Materials hard
Must group materials by properties before classifying into three states of matter
- States of Matter Vocabulary soft
Describing physical properties of materials uses solid/liquid/gas vocabulary introduced in the states of matter LANGUAGE node
- Changing Shapes of Solids soft
Changing shapes of solids provides context for understanding solid properties
- Describing Material Properties hard
Must know material properties before investigating how shapes change
- States of Matter Vocabulary soft
Describing physical properties of materials uses solid/liquid/gas vocabulary introduced in the states of matter LANGUAGE node
- Evaporation & the Water Cycle soft
Evaporation knowledge supports understanding recovery of dissolved substances
- Changes & Separation Vocabulary hard
Identifying the role of evaporation and condensation requires knowing these process terms precisely
- Shapes of land and water hard
Must know land and water features before learning where water is found on Earth
- Days, Weeks, Months & Years soft
Observing and describing seasonal changes requires basic date and time vocabulary (months, seasons, year)
- Ordering Events in Time hard
Understanding days/months/years builds on sequencing events chronologically
- Heating & Cooling Changes soft
Understanding state changes supports knowing water as solid (ice) and liquid
- States of Matter Vocabulary hard
Describing and measuring changes of state requires solid/liquid/gas vocabulary and the term 'change of state'
- Drawing Particle Diagrams hard
Observing and describing change of state requires reading particle diagrams showing how arrangement changes on heating or cooling
- Heating & Cooling Changes soft
Water cycle benefits from curriculum states of matter (heating/cooling changes state)
- States of Matter Vocabulary hard
Describing and measuring changes of state requires solid/liquid/gas vocabulary and the term 'change of state'
- Drawing Particle Diagrams hard
Observing and describing change of state requires reading particle diagrams showing how arrangement changes on heating or cooling
- Temperature & Thermometers soft
Water cycle evaporation relates to temperature (heat drives evaporation)
- Heating & Cooling Changes hard
Must understand state changes before learning about evaporation/condensation in water cycle
- States of Matter Vocabulary hard
Describing and measuring changes of state requires solid/liquid/gas vocabulary and the term 'change of state'
- Drawing Particle Diagrams hard
Observing and describing change of state requires reading particle diagrams showing how arrangement changes on heating or cooling
- Solids, Liquids & Gases hard
Must know solids/liquids/gases to decide appropriate separation techniques
- States of Matter Vocabulary hard
Comparing and grouping materials as solids, liquids, or gases requires the naming vocabulary for the three states
- Drawing Particle Diagrams hard
Comparing and grouping solids, liquids, and gases by properties is greatly aided by the particle diagram representation
- Heating & Cooling Changes hard
Must classify states of matter before understanding changes between states
- States of Matter Vocabulary hard
Describing and measuring changes of state requires solid/liquid/gas vocabulary and the term 'change of state'
- Drawing Particle Diagrams hard
Observing and describing change of state requires reading particle diagrams showing how arrangement changes on heating or cooling
- Grouping Materials hard
Must group materials by properties before classifying into three states of matter
- States of Matter Vocabulary soft
Describing physical properties of materials uses solid/liquid/gas vocabulary introduced in the states of matter LANGUAGE node
- Changing Shapes of Solids soft
Changing shapes of solids provides context for understanding solid properties
- Describing Material Properties hard
Must know material properties before investigating how shapes change
- States of Matter Vocabulary soft
Describing physical properties of materials uses solid/liquid/gas vocabulary introduced in the states of matter LANGUAGE node
- Pure Substances & Mixtures hard
Separation techniques are chosen based on whether a substance is a mixture or pure compound
- Changes & Separation Vocabulary hard
Understanding dissolving and solutions requires 'dissolve', 'solution', 'soluble', 'insoluble' from the process vocabulary node
- Advanced Material Properties hard
Must understand solubility as a property before learning dissolving and recovery in detail
- Testing Materials for Uses soft
Within GB sequence, testing advanced properties supports justifying material choices; US teaches material uses earlier without this prerequisite
- Material Properties Vocabulary soft
Giving evidence-based reasons for material uses draws on conductor, insulator, and other property vocabulary
- Material Properties Vocabulary hard
Grouping materials by hardness, solubility, transparency, conductivity, and magnetic response requires all these property terms
- Choosing the Right Material hard
Must understand material suitability before testing advanced properties like conductivity and solubility
- Material Properties Vocabulary soft
Comparing suitability of materials for uses requires property vocabulary to articulate why one material is better than another
- Grouping Materials hard
Must group materials by properties before evaluating suitability for purposes
- States of Matter Vocabulary soft
Describing physical properties of materials uses solid/liquid/gas vocabulary introduced in the states of matter LANGUAGE node
- Solids, Liquids & Gases soft
Understanding states of matter supports testing properties like solubility
- States of Matter Vocabulary hard
Comparing and grouping materials as solids, liquids, or gases requires the naming vocabulary for the three states
- Drawing Particle Diagrams hard
Comparing and grouping solids, liquids, and gases by properties is greatly aided by the particle diagram representation
- Heating & Cooling Changes hard
Must classify states of matter before understanding changes between states
- States of Matter Vocabulary hard
Describing and measuring changes of state requires solid/liquid/gas vocabulary and the term 'change of state'
- Drawing Particle Diagrams hard
Observing and describing change of state requires reading particle diagrams showing how arrangement changes on heating or cooling
- Grouping Materials hard
Must group materials by properties before classifying into three states of matter
- States of Matter Vocabulary soft
Describing physical properties of materials uses solid/liquid/gas vocabulary introduced in the states of matter LANGUAGE node
- Changing Shapes of Solids soft
Changing shapes of solids provides context for understanding solid properties
- Describing Material Properties hard
Must know material properties before investigating how shapes change
- States of Matter Vocabulary soft
Describing physical properties of materials uses solid/liquid/gas vocabulary introduced in the states of matter LANGUAGE node
- Evaporation & the Water Cycle soft
Evaporation knowledge supports understanding recovery of dissolved substances
- Changes & Separation Vocabulary hard
Identifying the role of evaporation and condensation requires knowing these process terms precisely
- Shapes of land and water hard
Must know land and water features before learning where water is found on Earth
- Days, Weeks, Months & Years soft
Observing and describing seasonal changes requires basic date and time vocabulary (months, seasons, year)
- Ordering Events in Time hard
Understanding days/months/years builds on sequencing events chronologically
- Heating & Cooling Changes soft
Understanding state changes supports knowing water as solid (ice) and liquid
- States of Matter Vocabulary hard
Describing and measuring changes of state requires solid/liquid/gas vocabulary and the term 'change of state'
- Drawing Particle Diagrams hard
Observing and describing change of state requires reading particle diagrams showing how arrangement changes on heating or cooling
- Heating & Cooling Changes soft
Water cycle benefits from curriculum states of matter (heating/cooling changes state)
- States of Matter Vocabulary hard
Describing and measuring changes of state requires solid/liquid/gas vocabulary and the term 'change of state'
- Drawing Particle Diagrams hard
Observing and describing change of state requires reading particle diagrams showing how arrangement changes on heating or cooling
- Temperature & Thermometers soft
Water cycle evaporation relates to temperature (heat drives evaporation)
- Heating & Cooling Changes hard
Must understand state changes before learning about evaporation/condensation in water cycle
- States of Matter Vocabulary hard
Describing and measuring changes of state requires solid/liquid/gas vocabulary and the term 'change of state'
- Drawing Particle Diagrams hard
Observing and describing change of state requires reading particle diagrams showing how arrangement changes on heating or cooling
- Atoms, Elements & Compounds hard
Purity is defined at the atomic/molecular level — distinguishing compounds from mixtures requires atoms/elements knowledge
- The Particle Model hard
Atoms and molecules are the particles referred to in the particle model — builds directly on it
- Drawing Particle Diagrams hard
Using the particle model to explain density, compressibility, and anomalous expansion requires fluent reading and drawing of particle diagrams
- Matter Is Made of Particles hard
KS3 particle model extends US KS2 introduction to matter as particles too small to see
- Drawing Particle Diagrams hard
Developing a model of matter as particles too small to see is built on the particle diagram representation
- Heating & Cooling Changes hard
Must observe state changes before explaining them with particle model
- States of Matter Vocabulary hard
Describing and measuring changes of state requires solid/liquid/gas vocabulary and the term 'change of state'
- Drawing Particle Diagrams hard
Observing and describing change of state requires reading particle diagrams showing how arrangement changes on heating or cooling
- Solids, Liquids & Gases hard
Must understand observable states of matter before modelling them with particles
- States of Matter Vocabulary hard
Comparing and grouping materials as solids, liquids, or gases requires the naming vocabulary for the three states
- Drawing Particle Diagrams hard
Comparing and grouping solids, liquids, and gases by properties is greatly aided by the particle diagram representation
- Heating & Cooling Changes hard
Must classify states of matter before understanding changes between states
- States of Matter Vocabulary hard
Describing and measuring changes of state requires solid/liquid/gas vocabulary and the term 'change of state'
- Drawing Particle Diagrams hard
Observing and describing change of state requires reading particle diagrams showing how arrangement changes on heating or cooling
- Grouping Materials hard
Must group materials by properties before classifying into three states of matter
- States of Matter Vocabulary soft
Describing physical properties of materials uses solid/liquid/gas vocabulary introduced in the states of matter LANGUAGE node
- Changing Shapes of Solids soft
Changing shapes of solids provides context for understanding solid properties
- Describing Material Properties hard
Must know material properties before investigating how shapes change
- States of Matter Vocabulary soft
Describing physical properties of materials uses solid/liquid/gas vocabulary introduced in the states of matter LANGUAGE node
- Solids, Liquids & Gases hard
KS3 particle model extends KS2 classification of solids, liquids and gases by observable properties
- States of Matter Vocabulary hard
Comparing and grouping materials as solids, liquids, or gases requires the naming vocabulary for the three states
- Drawing Particle Diagrams hard
Comparing and grouping solids, liquids, and gases by properties is greatly aided by the particle diagram representation
- Heating & Cooling Changes hard
Must classify states of matter before understanding changes between states
- States of Matter Vocabulary hard
Describing and measuring changes of state requires solid/liquid/gas vocabulary and the term 'change of state'
- Drawing Particle Diagrams hard
Observing and describing change of state requires reading particle diagrams showing how arrangement changes on heating or cooling
- Grouping Materials hard
Must group materials by properties before classifying into three states of matter
- States of Matter Vocabulary soft
Describing physical properties of materials uses solid/liquid/gas vocabulary introduced in the states of matter LANGUAGE node
- Changing Shapes of Solids soft
Changing shapes of solids provides context for understanding solid properties
- Describing Material Properties hard
Must know material properties before investigating how shapes change
- States of Matter Vocabulary soft
Describing physical properties of materials uses solid/liquid/gas vocabulary introduced in the states of matter LANGUAGE node
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