Design and describe a method to separate a mixture of solids and liquids using particle properties like size, magnetism, and solubility.
If mixtures keep the properties of their parts, then you can use those properties to pull a mixture back apart. Different separation tools match different properties: a sieve or screen separates by size, a magnet pulls out anything magnetic, like iron, and evaporation leaves behind whatever was dissolved in a liquid.
The trick to a good separation plan is picking the right tool for each ingredient property. A mixture of sand, salt, and paperclips needs three different steps: a magnet for the paperclips, water plus evaporation for the salt, and a filtering or settling step for the sand.
Mastery looks like: They can propose a multi-step separation plan for a solid mixture, naming the property each step relies on.
Common stumbles: Picking a tool that does not match the property, like trying to filter out a dissolved substance; forgetting a step is needed for each different material.