Sludge Lab Report

The objective of the sludge lab was to determine how many different pure substances were in the sludge by using the methods and techniques we have learned throughout the year. We had to pick separation methods so we could separate our sludge and then test characteristic properties on our separated liquids and solids. This experiment made us use our knowledge on characteristic properties to pick the ones we should test to help us identify our pure substances. Characteristic properties are properties that help identify a solid or liquid. Each solid or liquid has a certain density, boiling point, solubility, flammability, so if you know what each one is then you can use that information to help you identify your solid or liquid.

My partner and I

Based on our initial observations(appearance) of solid #4 and the fact that they are not soluble in water and will sink, my partner and I have concluded that solid #4 are small pebbles. Solid #2 are small pieces of tin foil. We believe this because solid #2 isn’t soluble in water and doesn’t float just like tin foil. We also think this because of our initial observations(appearance). Nika and I believe that solid #6 is dried up purple food coloring because once you put the solid in water it dissolves and the water becomes purple(just like the color of our sludge). When we collected liquid from our distillation separation method, liquids #5 and #4 came out clear (without the food coloring). We believe solid #6 is what made our sludge purple. The density of food coloring is the same as water: 1 gram per square millimeter, our density was very close to this it was 0.51g/cm3 and we could have made mistakes when reading the graduated cylinder. Solid #5 is silica sand based on the fact that it isn’t soluble in water. We also used our international observations(appearance) and agreed that it was a match. Even though the density of silica sand is 2.65g/cm3 and ours was 1.3g/cm3 we agreed that we