Question

HELP! MEDALS I REALLY NEED HELP!

Which method would be best to separate a mixture of sugar and water?

separation by density
separation by particle size
filtration
distillation

Answer 1

Removing the water through evaporation would not be the best technique to use, and I'm not convinced about distillation as when you near the end of the separation (i.e. when there's only a little bit of water left) you will burn and therefore destroy the sugar.

Assuming that this is a purely theoretical question and you don't have to go out and have to physically carry out the separation, I would think that reverse osmosis would be the best technique available. This method works on the principle that you use a semi-permeable membrane in the separation that allows the solvent through but not the solute; under high pressure the solution would be forced through the membrane such that only the solvent goes through. You will however need specialised equipment and special filters in order to carry out the separation (hence my previous assumption).