29/10/2026
Likely JAMB Questions and Answers From Separation Techniques
1. Sieving is a technique used to separate mixtures containing solid particles of?
A. Small sizes
B. Large sizes
C. Different sizes
D. The same size
Correct Answer: C (Sieving works by allowing particles smaller than the sieve's pores to pass through, while larger particles are retained. This principle relies on a difference in particle sizes).
2. Which method is used to separate an insoluble solid from a liquid?
A. Distillation
B. Filtration
C. Sublimation
D. Evaporation
Correct Answer: B (Filtration is the process of separating an insoluble solid (residue) from a liquid (filtrate) by passing the mixture through a porous medium like filter paper).
3. In filtration, the liquid that passes through the filter paper is called the?
A. Residue
B. Filtrate
C. Solute
D. Precipitate
Correct Answer: B (The liquid that passes through the filter paper is known as the filtrate, while the solid left behind on the filter paper is the residue).
4. A mixture of iron filings and sulphur powder can be best separated by?
A. Adding water and filtering
B. Sublimation
C. Using a magnet
D. Fractional distillation
Correct Answer: C (Iron is magnetic while sulphur is not. Magnetism is used to attract and separate the iron filings from the mixture).
5. Which of the following mixtures cannot be separated by magnetism?
A. Iron fillings and sand
B. Steel ball bearings and plastic beads
C. Nickel powder and aluminium powder
D. Sulphur and charcoal powder
Correct Answer: D (Neither sulphur nor charcoal is magnetic. Therefore, magnetism cannot be used to separate this mixture).
6. Which of these mixtures can be separated using a separating funnel?
A. Ethanol and water
B. Kerosene and water
C. Sugar and water
D. Salt and water
Correct Answer: B [A separating funnel is used to separate immiscible liquids (liquids that do not mix), such as oil and water, which form two distinct layers].
7. The process of pouring out the clear upper liquid without disturbing the sediment is known as?
A. Filtration
B. Evaporation
C. Decantation
D. Sublimation
Correct Answer: C (Decantation is a simple separation technique where the liquid layer above a solid (sediment) or another immiscible liquid is carefully poured off).
8. A mixture of palm oil and water is best separated by?
A. Sublimation
B. Decantation or separating funnel
C. Distillation
D. Crystallization
Correct Answer: B (Palm oil and water are immiscible and form separate layers. They can be separated by decantation or more effectively with a separating funnel).
9. Winnowing is a technique used to separate mixtures based on differences in?
A. Magnetic properties
B. Density or weight
C. Boiling points
D. Particle sizes
Correct Answer: B (Winnowing separates lighter components from heavier ones using wind or moving air. It is based on differences in their densities or weights).
10. The method used to obtain pure solid B from a mixture of two solids where solid A is lighter than solid B is called?
A. Sieving
B. Winnowing
C. Magnetic separation
D. Crystallization
Correct Answer: B (Winnowing is the process of separating lighter components from heavier ones using air. This would effectively remove the lighter solid A, leaving the heavier pure solid B behind).
11. The process of obtaining a pure solid from a solution containing impurities is known as?
A. Distillation
B. Crystallization
C. Decantation
D. Filtration
Correct Answer: B (Crystallization is a separation technique used to obtain pure solid crystals from a solution, leaving impurities behind in the mother liquor).
12. Which method is most suitable for obtaining common salt from a salt solution?
A. Sublimation
B. Evaporation to dryness
C. Fractional distillation
D. Filtration
Correct Answer: B (Common salt is a solid dissolved in water. Evaporation to dryness will remove the water (solvent), leaving the salt (solute) behind).
13. Evaporation to dryness is not suitable for obtaining sugar from its solution because sugar?
A. Is insoluble in water
B. Would decompose on heating
C. Has a high melting point
D. Is volatile
Correct Answer: B (Sugar is a crystalline organic compound that decomposes or chars when heated strongly. Evaporation to dryness would destroy the sugar, so crystallization is preferred).
14. Fractional crystallization is a method used to separate mixtures of solids based on differences in their?
A. Melting points
B. Densities
C. Solubilities at different temperatures
D. Particle sizes
Correct Answer: C (Fractional crystallization separates a mixture of solids by utilizing the difference in their solubilities in a particular solvent at different temperatures).
15. The most preferred separation technique for isolating solutes where the purity of the constituent is of utmost importance is?
A. Sieving
B. Distillation
C. Recrystallization
D. Precipitation
Correct Answer: C (Recrystallization is generally considered a better method for achieving high purity of solutes (up to 99.9%) because of less contamination and better separation compared to other methods like distillation).
16. In crystallization, what is formed when a saturated solution is cooled?
A. Precipitate
B. Filtrate
C. Crystals
D. Vapour
Correct Answer: C (When a hot saturated solution is cooled, the solubility of the solute decreases, causing it to come out of the solution in the form of pure crystals).
17. To obtain pure crystals of copper(II) sulphate from a solution containing impurities, the appropriate method is?
A. Simple distillation
B. Evaporation to dryness
C. Recrystallization
D. Filtration
Correct Answer: C (Recrystallization is the best method to purify solids like copper(II) sulphate. The impure solid is dissolved in a minimum amount of hot solvent and then allowed to cool, forming pure crystals).
18. The principle behind simple distillation is the difference in the?
A. Densities of the components
B. Boiling points of the components
C. Solubilities of the components
D. Magnetic properties of the components
Correct Answer: B (Simple distillation separates components of a liquid mixture by heating and cooling. It vaporizes and condenses the components based on their different boiling points).
19. Which method would be most suitable to obtain pure water from a salt solution?
A. Filtration
B. Crystallization
C. Simple distillation
D. Sublimation
Correct Answer: C (In simple distillation, the salt solution is heated. Water, having a lower boiling point, evaporates, and its vapour is then condensed to collect pure water, leaving the salt behind).
20. The separation technique used to separate crude oil into its various fractions like petrol and kerosene is?
A. Simple distillation
B. Fractional distillation
C. Crystallization
D. Chromatography
Correct Answer: B (Fractional distillation is used to separate a mixture of miscible liquids with different boiling points, such as the various components of crude petroleum).
21. A mixture of two miscible liquids with a boiling point difference of less than 20°C is best separated by?
A. Simple distillation
B. Fractional distillation using a fractionating column
C. Use of a separating funnel
D. Evaporation
Correct Answer: B (When boiling points are very close, simple distillation is inefficient. A fractionating column provides multiple vaporization-condensation cycles, allowing for better separation of close-boiling liquids).
22. The property used in the industrial preparation of nitrogen and oxygen from air is?
A. Rate of diffusion
B. Density
C. Boiling point
D. Solubility
Correct Answer: C (In the industrial preparation of nitrogen and oxygen from air, the process of fractional distillation of liquefied air is used. This separates the components based on their different boiling points).
23. The most volatile fraction obtained from fractional distillation of crude petroleum contains?
A. Butane, propane and kerosene
B. Butane, propane and petrol
C. Ethane, methane and benzene
D. Methane, ethane and propane
Correct Answer: D (The most volatile fractions are gases at room temperature with the lowest boiling points, which are the small alkanes like methane, ethane, and propane).
24. Which of the following can be obtained by fractional distillation?
A. Sodium chloride from sea water
B. Iodine from a solution
C. Nitrogen from liquid air
D. Sulphur from a solution
Correct Answer: C (Liquid air is a mixture of gases. Fractional distillation of liquid air is the primary industrial method for obtaining nitrogen and oxygen).
25. To obtain pure water from a mixture of sand, water, and methanoic acid, the best sequence is?
A. Neutralization with NaOH followed by filtration
B. Neutralization with NaOH followed by distillation
C. Fractional distillation
D. Filtration followed by distillation
Correct Answer: D (First, filtration removes the insoluble sand. Then, distillation separates the water (by boiling it off) from the less volatile methanoic acid).
26. Ammonium chloride can be separated from its mixture with common salt by?
A. Filtration
B. Distillation
C. Sublimation
D. Evaporation
Correct Answer: C (Ammonium chloride sublimes (turns directly from solid to gas) upon heating, while common salt does not. The ammonium chloride vapour can be condensed back into a solid on a cool surface).
27. A mixture of sand and iodine crystals can be best separated by?
A. Filtration
B. Sublimation
C. Evaporation
D. Decantation
Correct Answer: B (Iodine is a sublime substance. When heated, iodine changes into purple vapour, leaving the non-sublime sand behind).
28. Which of the following substances can be purified by sublimation?*
A. Common salt
B. Sugar
C. Iodine
D. Copper sulphate
Correct Answer: C (Iodine is a classic example of a solid that undergoes sublimation. Ammonium chloride, naphthalene, and camphor are other examples).
29. Which separation technique relies on the difference in the rate at which substances move through a medium?
A. Filtration
B. Distillation
C. Chromatography
D. Magnetism
Correct Answer: C (Chromatography separates components of a mixture based on their different rates of movement (migration) through a stationary phase when carried by a mobile phase).
30. In paper chromatography, the line on which the sample is spotted is drawn with a pencil and not ink because ink?
A. Is expensive
B. Would dissolve in the solvent and interfere with the result
C. Is not visible
D. Is too thick
Correct Answer: B (Ink is itself a mixture that would separate into its component dyes during the experiment, creating false spots and interfering with the separation of the test sample).
31. In chromatography, the stationary phase is the?
A. Solvent
B. Paper
C. Sample mixture
D. Beaker
Correct Answer: B (The stationary phase is the phase that does not move. In paper chromatography, the chromatography paper acts as the stationary phase).
32. In chromatography, the mobile phase is the?
A. Paper
B. Solid to be separated
C. Solvent
D. Pencil line
Correct Answer: C (The mobile phase is the phase that moves. In paper chromatography, the solvent (e.g., water or ethanol) is the mobile phase that travels up the paper).
33. A mixture of common salt, ammonium chloride, and barium sulphate can best be separated by?
A. Addition of water followed by filtration then sublimation
B. Addition of water followed by sublimation then filtration
C. Sublimation followed by addition of water then filtration
D. Fractional distillation
Correct Answer: C (First, sublime to remove NHâ‚„Cl. Then add water to dissolve NaCl, leaving insoluble BaSOâ‚„, which is removed by filtration. The NaCl can then be recovered from the filtrate).
34. A mixture of sand, ammonium chloride, and sodium chloride is best separated by?
A. Sublimation followed by addition of water and filtration
B. Addition of water followed by filtration and sublimation
C. Sublimation followed by addition of water and evaporation
D. Filtration followed by evaporation and condensation
Correct Answer: C (First, sublime the NHâ‚„Cl. Then add water to the remaining mixture to dissolve NaCl. Filter to remove sand. Finally, evaporate the filtrate to obtain NaCl crystals).
35. To obtain pure water from salt water, the processes involved are?
A. Evaporation and condensation
B. Melting and freezing
C. Filtration and evaporation
D. Sublimation and condensation
Correct Answer: A (Distillation involves evaporating (boiling) the water to form steam and then condensing the steam back into liquid water. This is the principle of simple distillation).
36. The first step in separating a mixture of sand, sugar, and iron filings is usually?
A. Adding water
B. Using a magnet
C. Filtration
D. Evaporation
Correct Answer: B (Using a magnet to remove the iron filings first is a quick and dry method, preventing the filings from rusting or complicating the subsequent steps of adding water to dissolve sugar).
37. A pure substance can be best defined as one that?
A. Exists in only one physical state
B. Consists of a single element or compound with a fixed melting and boiling point
C. Can be separated into its constituents by physical methods
D. Is always a homogeneous mixture
Correct Answer: B (A pure substance has a definite and constant composition with distinct and sharp melting and boiling points).
38. Water for town supply is chlorinated to make it free from?
A. Bad colour
B. Bacteria
C. Temporary hardness
D. Permanent hardness
Correct Answer: B (Chlorination is a disinfection process specifically used to kill harmful bacteria and other microorganisms present in water, making it safe for drinking).
39. Which of the following is a mixture?
A. Distilled water
B. Sodium chloride
C. Sea water
D. Copper
Correct Answer: C (Sea water contains water, various dissolved salts, and other substances in proportions that can vary, making it a mixture).
40. The separation of colours in a dye is achieved by?
A. Fractional distillation
B. Chromatography
C. Filtration
D. Crystallization
Correct Answer: B [Chromatography is specifically designed to separate and identify the different components (like pigments in a dye) in a mixture].
41. The separation process used to separate two or more miscible liquids is called?
A. Simple distillation
B. Fractional distillation
C. Separating funnel
D. Crystallization
Correct Answer: B (Fractional distillation is used to separate two or more miscible liquids with different boiling points, such as ethanol and water).
42. Centrifugation is a technique used to speed up the process of?
A. Distillation
B. Sedimentation and filtration
C. Evaporation
D. Sublimation
Correct Answer: B (Centrifugation spins mixtures at high speed to rapidly force denser particles (solid or liquid) to settle at the bottom, speeding up sedimentation, which can then be followed by decantation. It's an alternative to filtration).
43. Which of the following pairs of separation techniques depends on the differences in the boiling points of the components?
A. Filtration and decantation
B. Simple and fractional distillation
C. Sublimation and chromatography
D. Crystallization and evaporation
Correct Answer: B (Both simple and fractional distillation rely on heating a mixture to boil off components based on their different boiling points).
44. The diagram below (showing a magnet near a mixture) illustrates the separation technique of?
A. Filtration
B. Decantation
C. Magnetism
D. Sublimation
Correct Answer: C (A magnet is used to separate magnetic substances (like iron, nickel, cobalt) from non-magnetic ones).
45. Common salt obtained from sea water contains impurities and is therefore purified by?
A. Distillation and drying
B. Dissolving, filtration, and crystallization
C. Sublimation and condensation
D. Evaporation and condensation
Correct Answer: B (Crude salt is dissolved in water to make a solution. Insoluble impurities are filtered out. The salt is then obtained in pure form by crystallization).
46. Which of the following statements is correct about the separation of mixtures?
A. A mixture of two solids can always be separated by adding water
B. Distillation can be used to separate a mixture of two solids
C. Filtration can be used to separate a soluble solid from its solvent
D. The method of separation depends on the properties of the components
Correct Answer: D (The choice of a separation technique is dictated by the physical and chemical properties of the components in the mixture, such as solubility, boiling point, density, magnetic properties, etc.).
47. A mixture of ethanol (b.p. 78°C) and propanol (b.p. 97°C) can be best separated by?
A. Simple distillation
B. Fractional distillation
C. Evaporation
D. Separating funnel
Correct Answer: B (While their boiling points differ by 19°C, they are both miscible liquids. A fractionating column would ensure a more efficient separation than simple distillation).
48. The process by which a solvent passes through a semi-permeable membrane from a dilute solution to a concentrated solution is called?
A. Diffusion
B. Osmosis
C. Filtration
D. Chromatography
Correct Answer: B (Osmosis is the specific movement of solvent molecules from a region of lower solute concentration (dilute solution) to a region of higher solute concentration (concentrated solution) through a semi-permeable membrane).
49. Drying agents like calcium chloride are used in the laboratory to?
A. Filter mixtures
B. Remove water from gases or organic liquids
C. Speed up reactions
D. Increase solubility
Correct Answer: B (Anhydrous calcium chloride is a common desiccant (drying agent) used to absorb moisture from air or to dry organic liquids by removing traces of water).
50. Fractional distillation is different from simple distillation because fractional distillation uses a?
A. Condenser
B. Conical flask
C. Fractionating column
D. Thermometer
Correct Answer: C (The key apparatus that distinguishes fractional distillation from simple distillation is the fractionating column, which provides a large surface area for multiple condensations and evaporations).