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Schemes of Work
QCA

Science at key stage 3    (Year 7)

Unit 7H: Solutions
Section 6: b. How can chromatography separate and identify substances in mixtures?

QCA

Objectives

Children should learn:
  • how chromatography can be used to compare mixtures of solutes
  • how scientists use evidence from chromatography

Activities

Outcomes

Children:
  • Ask pupils to use chromatography to compare the components of dyes, eg the colouring on sugar-coated chocolate sweets, to find out whether different colours include the same dyes and to explain what they found, eg using drawings and annotated diagrams. Extend by providing pupils with prepared chromatograms and information about the contexts in which these might be needed, eg in forensic science, in identifying traces of substances in urine or medical preparations, and asking them to interpret the evidence from each chromatogram.
  • interpret chromatograms, explaining what the evidence shows
  • describe a situation in which chromatography provides useful evidence

Points to note

  • Many pupils think that chromatography can only be used with coloured solutes. It is helpful to illustrate how chromatography is used with non-coloured solutes.

Sections in this unit

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This unit is divided into sections. Each section contains a sequence of activities with related objectives and outcomes. You can view this unit by moving through the sections or print/download the whole unit.
1. How can we tell whether a liquid is a mixture?
2. How much salt can we get from rock salt?
3. What happens to the solute when a solution is made?
4. How can we separate solvents from solutes?
5. a. How can chromatography separate and identify substances in mixtures?
6. b. How can chromatography separate and identify substances in mixtures?
7. Checking progress
8. Is there a limit to the amount of solid that will dissolve in a liquid?
9. What else affects solubility?
10. Reviewing work