Question

How can physical properties be used to separate a mixture?

Answer 1

Physical properties of any substance are those properties which are visible through the eyes directly like color, size, solubility, state of matter, appearance, etc. A substance will show different physical properties but always will have the same chemical composition.

Complete answer:
As every substance which is present in a mixture will have individual and specific physical properties and on the basis of which we will separate a mixture. We will separate a mixture by using the physical properties in the following manner:
-Let us suppose a mixture of salt and water, here water is more volatile in nature as compared to the salt which will get volatile only at very high temperature. So when we heat this solution then water gets evaporated and only salt will be left on the beaker.
-If we have a mixture of sand and water then this mixture gets separated by using a filtration process, because sand is not soluble in water.
-Some chemicals of chemistry will get separated through chromatographic processes, on the basis of the different adsorption properties of those chemicals.
-Some substances will have higher density than other substances which are present in a mixture and they will get separated because of settling down in the bottom.
So a mixture will get separated on the basis of different kinds of physical properties of substances present in that mixture.

Note:
Here some of you may think that changing in color or size or any other parameter will produce a new compound, but that is not true because changing in chemical properties will produce a new compound not changing in physical properties.