Chemical Education Journal (CEJ), Vol. 7, No. 2 /Registration No. 7-16/Received October 31, 2003.
URL = http://www.juen.ac.jp/scien/cssj/cejrnlE.html

e-mail: livnehm@mail.biu.ac.il

Abstract

Usually, the first lesson in chemistry at any level starts with the classification of matter. We then teach our students that materials can be either pure substances or mixtures, and when defining mixtures some separation methods are discussed. In the laboratory courses, emphasis is placed on the methods and techniques of separation, and which are eventually put into practice. Almost any lab book in organic chemistry starts with separation techniques such as crystalization, distillation, etc.^(1,2). These techniques, both macroscale and microscale, are now well established at the undergraduate level. Adopting these methods and apparatus to high school labs can sometimes be inadaquate because of their complexicity, high cost, over-long lab periods, etc.

In this article we present five microscaled experiments in which the separation of mixtures is performed. The experiments include distillation, chromatography (circle and column), filtration, and extraction. All the experiments are cheap, easy to perform and can be done quickly. All the experiments are "green," and the materials chosen are routinely used in everyday life.

BODY OF PAPER

Abstract
Introduction
Experimental
Experiment 1: Distillation
Experiment 2: Circle Chromatography ⁽⁵⁾
Experiment 3: Column Chromatography
Experiment 4: Adsorption on active carbon
Experiment 5: Solubility and Extraction
References

TopCEJ Vol. 7, No. 2, Contents