Why can you separate dried peas from rice using a sieve?

Dried peas and rice have different sizes. Dried peas are larger than rice. A sieve has small holes that allow smaller particles to pass through, while larger particles are retained on the sieve. Therefore, when you pour a mixture of dried peas and rice onto a sieve, the rice grains will pass through the holes while the dried peas will be retained on the sieve. This allows you to separate the dried peas from the rice.