The Method: Evaporation
1. Dissolving the Salt: Joanne starts with her mixture of salt and sand. She knows that salt dissolves in water, while sand does not. So, she adds water to the mixture, stirring it until the salt dissolves completely. This leaves sand at the bottom of the container.
2. Decanting the Liquid: After the salt is dissolved, Joanne carefully pours the salty water into a separate container. This is called decanting. The sand, which is heavier and doesn't dissolve, stays behind in the original container.
3. Evaporation: Now, Joanne has a container with a salty water solution. She lets the water evaporate slowly, either by leaving it out in the open or by gently heating it. As the water evaporates, the dissolved salt is left behind.
4. Crystallization: As the water continues to evaporate, the salt concentration in the remaining liquid increases. Eventually, the salt reaches a point where it can no longer stay dissolved. It starts to crystallize, forming solid salt crystals.
5. Collecting the Crystals: Once all the water has evaporated, Joanne is left with pure salt crystals in the container.
Here's a summary:
* Salt and sand are mixed.
* Water is added to dissolve the salt.
* The saltwater is separated from the sand by decantation.
* The saltwater is evaporated, leaving salt crystals behind.
Important Note: This method might not produce perfectly pure salt crystals, as there might be some tiny sand particles still mixed in. For a more refined separation, additional techniques like filtration might be needed.
