fun distillation experiments

Distillation Experiment: Distilling Water at Home (Minimal Materials)

Introduction: Distillation Experiment: Distilling Water at Home (Minimal Materials)

***Students, do not use a stove without your parents permission/supervision.***

In Grade 7, students learn about pure substances and mixtures. They learn about the particle theory of matter and how it explains the properties of these pure substances and mixtures. In particular, we learn about solutions. A solution is a mixture made up of parts with very similar properties and characteristics. Salt water, coffee, alloy metals are all solutions. The parts of a solution are very difficult to separate. Though not impossible!

We begin to learn about different types of filtration that can be used to separate solutions. The most common strategies involve making the solute or solvent change state. (ie. changing the solute from a solid to a liquid)

In this experiment students will learn about the filtration process of distillation. This experiment is designed for my students to do at home with as little materials as possible. There are some much better water distilling Instructables available, such as this one created by erbst . This instructbable is intended to be as simple as possible.

• 1 cup of water
• 1 Tablespoons of fine table salt
• One metal pot and lid
• One spatula (recommended)
• One water glass

Step 1: Create a Salt Water Solution

Fill a glass with 1 cup of water. Then add one table spoon of salt. To make a proper solution you should stir until the salt as been absorbed and is no longer visible. Give it a taste! Just make sure there is a sink nearby!

Step 2: Add to Pot and Boil

Add your salt water solution to a pot (I chose a large pot with a large surface area) with a lid. Close the lid. On high heat bring the water to a boil. Let your water boil, you should see some steam escaping, let it continue to boil for a minute or two. Then reduce the heat to low.

Step 3: Lift the Lid

**Be careful! The pot will be hot! If your pot has an exposed metal handle use over mitts or a tea towel**

Carefully lift the lid and turn it over in one smooth motion. You should see many water droplets have formed on the lid of the pot.

Step 4: Pour Water Into a Cup

Bring your lid over to a new glass. With a spatula, wipe the water droplets into the cup.

You may not get enough water on your first try. If not, return the lid to the pot and reheat. Repeat these steps until you have collected enough water to drink.

Step 5: Bottom's Up!

Enjoy the fruits of your labor!

Take a drink of the water you have collected, distilled rather!

What do you notice? How has the salt water solution separated?

5 Creative Ways to Teach Simple Distillation to Help Students Understand

Distillation is a common industrial technique for separating two mixtures based on their boiling points. It is used in everything from getting clean water out of salty sea water to making gasoline from crude oil. Considering its great significance,  it is a part of every introductory chemistry course. 

However, distillation, with its abstract nature and chemical equation complexities, may not readily engage students. To transform this topic into an enjoyable and intriguing learning journey, this article suggests five creative ways to teach the concept of simple distillation. 

1. Enhance Comprehension with Immersive Models

Distillation is an abstract process that needs something visual and interactive to make the subject comprehensible for students. Although traditional lab experiments play an essential role, interactive models and virtual labs add a new dimension to learning.  They allow students to manipulate variables, test hypotheses, and witness results in real time, enhancing their understanding of distillation. 

An example is Labster's 3D labs, especially our simple distillation virtual lab . Here, students can configure the distillation apparatus, choose different mixtures for distillation, and observe the separation process without physical constraints or safety hazards. 

This real-time interaction empowers students with hands-on understanding and promotes active learning.

2. Enliven the Learning Experience with Games and Activities

Games and activities effectively break the monotony of learning abstract concepts like distillation. They provide interactive learning experiences, which lead to better engagement and comprehension.

Some interactive activities to engage students and encourage their participation are listed:

• Distillation Puzzle : Create a virtual puzzle game, just as in Labster Simple Distillation Simulation, where students need to assemble the pieces of a distillation apparatus correctly. You can provide clues about the function of each piece to guide them. This helps them understand the function and layout of a distillation setup. 
• Boiling Point Bingo: Create a bingo game where instead of numbers, each square contains a different liquid substance. Call out boiling points, and students have to correctly identify the substance and mark it off their cards. This helps students familiarize themselves with the boiling points of different substances. It is a key concept in distillation.
• Role Play: Assign different roles related to the distillation process to each student (like heat source, vapor, condenser, etc.). Ask them to act out just as it happens in the stages of distillation. This interactive will help them see understand the function of each individual part in the whole process.

3. Integrate Modern Tech Tools into the Learning Process

Leveraging technology in teaching distillation can be transformative. Tools such as virtual reality or online simulations provide immersive experiences, which make learning more engaging and effective. 

An excellent resource is Labster's simple distillation simulation . This immersive simulation takes students to a 3D world of Mars, where they are tasked to recycle the products by using distillation principles. They engage in a realistic distillation process in a virtual lab, doing experiments and analyzing results in real time. 

These virtual experiences let them understand how the process is used in real life and help them grasp distillation concepts more effectively.

Discover Labster's simple distillation virtual lab today!

4. Spur Interest via Career-Linked Discussions

Connecting distillation principles to real-world careers can enhance students' interest in the subject. They will help them understand the practical importance of distillation and inspire them to explore related fields. 

A range of careers use distillation, including chemical engineering, petroleum refining, food and drink industries, and even perfume creation. 

Additionally, to motivate them inviting guest speakers from these fields is another excellent approach. They will provide students with research and insights into the practical world of distillation, further inspiring and broadening their perspective on potential career paths.

5. Bridge the Gap with Real-World Applications

Teaching distillation with real-world applications makes the concept more relatable and exciting. Students understand the practicality of the subject and realize its significance beyond the classroom. 

Applications of distillation are ubiquitous – it is used in oil refining to separate petroleum products, in breweries to distill alcohol, and in desalination plants to obtain clean water from seawater. 

To further spark their interest, you can organize field trips, such as to a desalination plant or a refinery, where students can witness distillation in action.

Final Thoughts

The key to effective teaching, especially for complex topics like distillation, lies in the use of diverse strategies. Engage students through games, leverage modern technology, tie the subject to careers, and show real-world applications to drastically improve students' comprehension. 

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Evaporation Experiment

What do bottled water and cloud have in common?

They both involve a process called evaporation.

Evaporation is an important step in the water cycle .

Warm water evaporates and turns into vapor.

In bottled water factories, water is boiled and vapors are collected to make the product.

In nature, drops of vapor gather to form clouds in the sky.

Try this experiment to see how evaporation happens.

Evaporation-Distillation Water Science

In this water cycle project, let's make our own distilled water using evaporation, one of the important properties of water.

• plastic food wrap
• a small, slightly weighty object (you can use things like a stuffed toy)
• food coloring (optional)
• a large bowl
• a small cup (make sure it's shorter than the large bowl)
• adult supervision

Instructions

• Pour warm water into the large bowl.
• Add food coloring if you want to see  how the distilled water turns out different.

• Wrap the mouth of the bowl with cling wrap.

• Set the bowl under the sun and wait.

Did you try this project?

Follow us on Pinterest and share a photo!

When the vapor reaches the wrap which is colder, the vapor condenses and becomes water drops.

The water drops stick to the food wrap due to  adhesion , water’s tendency to stick to objects .

The small item on the food wrap creates a slope for the water droplets to slide down and eventually drop into the small cup.

What the small cup collects is distilled water . This process of using evaporation to purify water is called distillation .

Commercial distilled water is made by boiling the water and condensing the steam .

Distillation can be used to purify water.

Most impurities, such as minerals, have melting points or boiling points much higher than water’s. Therefore, only water evaporates into water vapor leaving the impurities behind.

That is why in our experiment, the collected water is clear even though we put blue food coloring in the water at the beginning.

Although distillation is the main step in purifying water, our homemade distillation setup by itself cannot be used to make safe drinking water (unless drinking water is used as the “impure” water to start with, in which case you can safely drink away). Some contaminants such as pesticides have lower boiling points than water’s.

These volatile organic compounds (VOCs) become gases before water boils off and can become a part of the collected water.

Extra steps need to be taken to remove those VOCs before the distilled water is safe for consumption.

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