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How to Separate Iron & Sulfur

Iron and sulfur are two very different elements, yet they share some characteristics that could make it difficult to separate the two if they were combined in a mixture. Because iron and sulfur are different colors, you could physically separate them by sight, but this would be a tedious task. Luckily, physical appearance is not their only difference.

Things You'll Need

Magnet
Bowl or container

Instructions

- 1
  Spread the mixture into a thin, single layer.
- 2
  Move the positive end of the magnet through the mixture. Iron will collect on the magnet. Scrap or brush the iron off the magnet into a bowl to hold the iron.
- 3
  Repeat the process of moving the magnet through the mixture, collecting the iron a little at a time and depositing each collection into the bowl.
- 4
  When you can move the magnet through the mixture and no iron collects on it, you have successfully removed the iron from the mixture. Only the sulfur remains.

Rocks & Minerals