Why do we need to separate substances from a mixture? Explain.
Mixture - When two or more substances are mixed physically in any variable proportion in such a way that they retain their individual properties is called a mixture.
Reasons for separation of substances from a mixture -
1. To separate useful components from non-useful components: many mixtures contain useful and non-useful components that need to be separated to obtain the useful component. For example -
2. To separate toxic and harmful components from a mixture: mixtures like river water contains many toxic dissolved salts that need to be separated from the water to make it potable.
3. To obtain the pure substance from a mixture -
4. To separate desired component from a mixture - the majority of naturally occurring mixtures contain lots of undesired components that need to be separated from the desired component to further process the component.
For example - pure metal is separated from its ore(rocks that contain metals or minerals) by various techniques.