Final answer:
The purpose of sorting through the debris was to find human remains, preserve personal artifacts, and collect criminal evidence.
Step-by-step explanation:
The purpose of sorting through the 2 million tons of debris that resulted from the 9/11 World Trade Center attack was multifaceted. The sorting operations aimed to separate human remains for proper identification and the possibility of returning them to their families, preserve personal artifacts which could bring closure to the victims' loved ones, and locate criminal evidence that could be used in the investigation and prosecution of the acts of terrorism.