Question

Mechanical separation is applicable to:

• A. Heterogenous mixture
• B. Homogenous mixture
• C. Colloidal mixture
• D. True solutions

Hint:

Remember:
- Mechanical separation \(\rightarrow\) Filtration, Centrifugation, Sedimentation (requires a distinct physical boundary, i.e., Heterogeneous mixture).
- Chemical/Thermal separation \(\rightarrow\) Distillation, Evaporation, Crystallization (used for Homogeneous mixtures/True solutions).

Answer 1

The Correct Option is A

Step 1: Understanding the Concept:
Separation processes are used to isolate specific components from a mixture.
These processes are broadly divided into chemical/diffusional separations (such as distillation or membrane filtration) and mechanical separations (such as filtration, sedimentation, and centrifugation).

Step 2: Detailed Explanation:
Let us analyze the physical state of mixtures to evaluate where mechanical separation is applicable:
- Heterogeneous Mixtures:
A heterogeneous mixture contains two or more distinct physical phases with clear boundaries, such as solid particles suspended in a liquid (e.g., dirt in raw milk) or two immiscible liquids (e.g., fat globules in skim milk).
Because these phases have different physical properties (such as particle size, shape, or density), they can be separated using physical forces.
Mechanical separation methods—such as filtration, sedimentation, and centrifugation—exploit these physical differences to separate the phases without altering their chemical structures.
Therefore, mechanical separation is highly applicable to heterogeneous mixtures.
- Homogeneous Mixtures, Colloidal Mixtures, and True Solutions:
In a homogeneous mixture or true solution (such as sugar dissolved in water), the solute is dispersed at the molecular or ionic level, forming a single physical phase.
Mechanical forces cannot separate these molecularly bound components.
Separating them requires thermal or chemical methods like evaporation, crystallization, or membrane processes.

Step 3: Final Answer:
Mechanical separation processes are applicable to heterogeneous mixtures.