Final answer:
Joe should use magnetic separation to separate the mixture of paper clips and sand, as it exploits the magnetic property of the paper clips to effectively separate them from the non-magnetic sand.
Step-by-step explanation:
To separate a mixture of paper clips and sand, Joe should use magnetic separation. This method utilizes the property of magnetism. Paper clips are typically made of iron or a magnetic material, while sand is non-magnetic. By moving a magnet over the mixture, the magnetic paper clips will be attracted to the magnet and pulled out of the sand, effectively separating the two components.
Filtration would not be the best method because it is used to separate a solid from a liquid, which is not the case here. Evaporation and distillation are methods used primarily to separate mixtures where at least one component is a liquid, which also does not apply to the mixture of paper clips and sand.