A student mixes 40 g of fine iron filings with 250 mL of tap water and passes the mixture through filter paper placed in a funnel. Which process is used to separate the iron filings from the water?

Step-by-step solution

1. Identify the solid (iron filings) and liquid (water) mixture.
2. Notice that a filter paper is used to allow the liquid to pass while retaining the solid.
3. Conclude that the separation technique employed is filtration.
4. This process separates solid particles from a liquid without changing their properties.

Concept tested: Solid–liquid separation using a filter

Published 13 October 2026 · How this solution was prepared and checked