What Is Filtration?
Filtration is a physical separation process that removes solid particles from a fluid (a liquid or gas) by passing the mixture through a filter medium. The fluid that passes through the filter is called the filtrate, while the solid material that is trapped by the filter is known as the residue or retentate.
Section 2: How Filtration Works
The process works based on the particle size of the components in the mixture. The filter medium contains pores that are small enough to block the solid particles but large enough to allow the fluid to pass through. The key components are the mixture, the filter medium (e.g., filter paper, cloth, or a membrane), and a force (like gravity or pressure) to move the fluid through the filter.
Section 3: A Practical Example
A common example of filtration is brewing coffee using a paper filter. Hot water is poured over coffee grounds which are held in a filter. The liquid coffee (the filtrate) passes through the tiny pores in the paper, while the larger, solid coffee grounds (the residue) are left behind.
Section 4: Importance and Applications
Filtration is a vital process in numerous everyday and industrial applications. It is used in water purification plants to provide safe drinking water, in car engines to clean oil and air, in air conditioners to remove dust, and in biology, the kidneys act as a natural filtration system for blood.