Magnetic separation Transitional Reasoning Download PDF

Questions

1. 1.

   A technician at a recycling facility is tasked with recovering individual dry solids from a pulverized mixture containing iron filings, nickel powder, and silica sand. The technician attempts a single-step separation by passing a strong permanent magnet over the tray, expecting to collect only pure iron filings, but discovers that both iron and nickel adhere to the magnet simultaneously. Based on the principles of magnetic separation, which conclusion and subsequent step correctly address this experimental outcome?

   • A) Magnetic separation is only effective for isolating a single component when exactly one substance in the mixture exhibits ferromagnetism, so a different physical property must be used to separate iron from nickel.
   • B) Magnetic separation failed because iron and nickel formed a homogeneous chemical compound during mixing that eliminated their individual magnetic properties.
   • C) Magnetic separation can selectively separate nickel from iron if the permanent magnet is replaced by an electrostatic rod that charges the silica sand particles.
   • D) Magnetic separation should be repeated at a higher temperature because heating strengthens the magnetic attraction of nickel while demagnetizing iron completely.