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Checking a Model Magnetic Mineral Sort 5 questions
Checking a Model Magnetic Mineral Sort
Base your answers on the information provided and your knowledge of chemistry. Use the 2025 Chemistry Reference Tables as needed.
A class models sorting a mineral sample. The sample contains magnetite grains that are attracted to a magnet and quartz grains that are not. Some grains are stuck together. A magnet can lift a cluster that contains magnetite even when quartz is attached.
| Test | Total solid collected by magnet (g) | Magnetite in collected solid (g) |
|---|---|---|
| Before separating joined grains | 18.0 | 12.0 |
| After separating joined grains | 13.0 | 12.0 |
Question 1
Calculate the mass of quartz in the collected solid in each test. Show how you used the two columns.
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Question 2
What changed in the collected solid after joined grains were separated?
- Its magnetite mass increased.
- Its quartz mass increased.
- Its quartz mass decreased while its magnetite mass stayed the same.
- The masses of both minerals decreased by the same amount.
Question 3
Explain how the magnet could collect quartz in the first test even though the model says quartz grains are not attracted to it.
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The class learns that each starting sample contained 15.0 g of magnetite. The class wants to report both the fraction of magnetite recovered and the fraction of the collected solid that is magnetite.
Question 4
For the second test, calculate these two fractions. Use a different denominator for each.
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Question 5
If the goal is to collect more of the original magnetite, which fraction should be compared in a follow-up trial? Explain.
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