Which separation technique is used to separate a solid from a liquid?

• A. Filtration
• B. Distillation
• C. Crystallization
• D. Chromatography

Answer: (A)

Separating a solid from a liquid relies on a barrier that traps solid particles while letting the liquid pass through. Filtration uses a porous material, like filter paper or a membrane, to catch the solid as the liquid flows, producing a solid residue and a liquid filtrate. It works best when the solid does not dissolve in the liquid, giving you a clear distinction between solid and liquid. For example, filtering a mixture of sand and water leaves dry sand on the filter and clean water in the filtrate. Other methods don’t fit this purpose: distillation separates liquids by boiling points, not solids from liquids; crystallization forms crystals from a dissolved solid in a solution; chromatography separates dissolved substances based on how they interact with a stationary phase. So filtration is the appropriate technique to separate a solid from a liquid.