Which method would be most effective for separating a mixture of sand and water?

• A. Distillation
• B. Evaporation
• C. Filtration
• D. Chromatography

Answer: (C)

Verified step by step guidance

1. Identify the physical states of the components in the mixture: sand is a solid, and water is a liquid.
2. Recall that filtration is a technique used to separate a solid from a liquid by passing the mixture through a filter that allows only the liquid to pass through.
3. Understand that distillation and evaporation involve changing the phase of the liquid (water) by heating, which is unnecessary and less efficient for separating sand from water.
4. Recognize that chromatography is used to separate components of a mixture based on their different affinities for a stationary phase and a mobile phase, which is not suitable for sand and water separation.
5. Conclude that filtration is the most effective and straightforward method to separate sand (solid) from water (liquid) without altering their states.