Question

Should a mortar and pestle should be used for grinding only one substance at a time

Answer 1

The mortar and pestle is most commonly used in chemical laboratories or in the kitchen. Its key function is to grind the material into smaller pieces, usually into its powdered form. It looks like that shown in the picture. The mortar is the bowl in which the material to be pounded is placed, and the pestle does the pounding.

Now, when you ask if it can only pound one at a time, my honest answer is, it depends. Depending on the size of your mortar, you could grind materials two or three at a time. But if you are concerned with contamination, then you do it one at a time, especially if you don't want them to get mixed up.