How will you seperate the constituents of a sample of gun powder?

1.	How will you seperate the constituents of a sample of gun powder?
Answer» Sulphur, charcoal and potassium nitrate are the constituents of gunpowder. These can be separated as follows:Step 1: Dissolve the gunpowder in water. Only potassium nitrate will dissolve.Step2: Filter the solution. Filterate is the solution of potassium nitrate and residue contains sulphur and charcoal.Step3: Evaporate the filterate to vapourize water. Potassium nitrate will be left behind and is thus separated.Step4: Dissolve the residue in carbondisulphide which will dissolve sulphur but not charcoal. Filter the solution.Step5: Charcoal is separated as the residue.Step6: Evaporate the filterate to vapourize carbondisulphide. Crystals of sulphur are left behind. Water (H2O) needs to be added and then filtered to get the nitre (KNO3). The filtrate is nitre (KNO3). Then again the residue is dissolved in carbon disulphide (CS2) where sulphur (S) gets dissolved .By filtration we will get the sulphur(S) and Charcoal (C7H4O) as residue

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