Science Exploration Notes Class 9 English Medium 2026-27

Science Exploration Chapter 5. Exploring Mixtures and their Separation

CBSE Notes New Syllabus: Class 9

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Chapter 5. Exploring Mixtures and their Separation

This section explains advanced separation techniques, special types of mixtures and their applications. It also introduces chromatography, distillation, separating funnel, colloids and suspensions, along with classroom explanations and exam-oriented comparison tables.

27. Distillation

Distillation is used to separate a pure liquid (solvent) from a solution or to separate liquids having a large difference in their boiling points. During this process, the liquid is heated to form vapour, which is then cooled to obtain the pure liquid.

Definition

Distillation is the process of separating a solvent or a liquid by heating it to form vapour and then condensing the vapour back into liquid.

Principle

Distillation works on the difference in the boiling points of substances.

Applications

• Obtaining Distilled Water
• Purification of Water
• Laboratory Separation of Liquids
• Chemical Industries

28. Fractional Distillation

Sometimes two or more liquids have very close boiling points. Such liquids cannot be separated by simple distillation. Fractional distillation is used in these cases.

Definition

Fractional distillation is the process of separating two or more miscible liquids having different but close boiling points.

Principle

It uses a fractionating column to separate liquids according to their boiling points.

Applications

• Petroleum Refining
• Separation of Alcohol and Water
• Industrial Chemical Production

29. Difference Between Distillation and Fractional Distillation

30. Separating Funnel

Some liquids do not mix with each other and form separate layers due to differences in density. A separating funnel is used to separate such immiscible liquids.

Definition

A separating funnel is an apparatus used to separate two immiscible liquids based on their difference in density.

Principle

The heavier liquid settles at the bottom, while the lighter liquid remains above it.

Applications

• Oil and Water Separation
• Laboratory Experiments
• Chemical Industries

31. Paper Chromatography

Chromatography is a modern separation technique used to separate coloured substances present in a mixture. Different substances travel at different speeds on chromatography paper.

Definition

Paper chromatography is a technique used to separate the coloured components of a mixture based on their different rates of movement.

Principle

Different substances move at different speeds because they have different solubilities and attractions towards the paper.

Applications

• Separating Colours in Ink
• Food Colour Analysis
• Forensic Science
• Drug Testing

32. Suspension

A suspension is a heterogeneous mixture in which insoluble particles remain suspended in a liquid for some time and settle down on standing.

Definition

A suspension is a heterogeneous mixture containing insoluble particles that settle on standing.

Characteristics

• Non-uniform Mixture
• Particles are Visible
• Particles Settle Down
• Can be Separated by Filtration

Examples

• Muddy Water
• Chalk Powder in Water

33. Colloid

A colloid is a mixture in which the particles are smaller than those in a suspension but larger than those in a true solution. These particles do not settle on standing.

Definition

A colloid is a heterogeneous mixture whose particles remain uniformly dispersed and do not settle under ordinary conditions.

Characteristics

• Particles are Very Small
• Do Not Settle on Standing
• Cannot be Separated by Ordinary Filtration
• Show the Tyndall Effect

Examples

• Milk
• Butter
• Fog
• Smoke

34. Tyndall Effect

When a beam of light passes through a colloid, the tiny colloidal particles scatter the light, making its path visible.

Definition

The scattering of light by colloidal particles is called the Tyndall Effect.

Examples

• Sunlight entering a dusty room.
• Car headlights visible in fog.
• Projector beam visible in a dark hall.

35. Difference Between Solution, Colloid and Suspension

36. ATP Education Classroom Summary

• Filtration → Separates insoluble solids from liquids.
• Evaporation → Obtains dissolved solids.
• Crystallisation → Produces pure crystals.
• Distillation → Separates liquids using boiling points.
• Fractional Distillation → Separates miscible liquids with close boiling points.
• Separating Funnel → Separates immiscible liquids.
• Chromatography → Separates coloured substances.
• Centrifugation → Separates substances based on density.

ATP Education Exam Booster

Remember the three most important CBSE comparison tables: Homogeneous vs Heterogeneous Mixture, Distillation vs Fractional Distillation, and Solution vs Colloid vs Suspension. Also remember that Colloids show the Tyndall Effect, suspensions settle on standing, and true solutions neither settle nor scatter light. These concepts are frequently tested in objective, competency-based and case-study questions.