Distillation Experiment: Distilling Water at Home (Minimal Materials)

license

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

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

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 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

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

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!

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?

Recommendations

Spring Loaded Mini Relief Print Press.

Art and Sculpture Contest

Art and Sculpture Contest

Outdoor Life Contest

Outdoor Life Contest

Microcontrollers Contest

Microcontrollers Contest

Back Home

  • Science Notes Posts
  • Contact Science Notes
  • Todd Helmenstine Biography
  • Anne Helmenstine Biography
  • Free Printable Periodic Tables (PDF and PNG)
  • Periodic Table Wallpapers
  • Interactive Periodic Table
  • Periodic Table Posters
  • Science Experiments for Kids
  • How to Grow Crystals
  • Chemistry Projects
  • Fire and Flames Projects
  • Holiday Science
  • Chemistry Problems With Answers
  • Physics Problems
  • Unit Conversion Example Problems
  • Chemistry Worksheets
  • Biology Worksheets
  • Periodic Table Worksheets
  • Physical Science Worksheets
  • Science Lab Worksheets
  • My Amazon Books

How to Make Distilled Water – 5 Easy Methods

Distilled water is free of minerals.

Distilled water is water purified by condensing water vapor into liquid water. Usually, the distillation process involves boiling impure water and collected the condensed vapor in a fresh container. However, you can obtain distilled water from damp soil, plants, snow, and rain, too. You can distill water to make drinking water for emergencies or improve your tap water. Here are several methods for making distilled water yourself. Which one you choose depends on your situation and resources.

Distill Water Using a Stove or Fire

If you have a heat source, such as a stove or campfire, it’s better to distill impure water for drinking than to simply boil it. This is because boiling kills many pathogens, but doesn’t remove chemical impurities or kill certain bacterial spores. You can use this method with any water, including seawater, questionable tap water, or even water from a puddle. To distill water, you need a large container to hold the impure water, a smaller container that either floats in the larger one or can be propped up above the water level, and a rounded lid that fits the large container. The process goes much faster if you also have some ice.

  • 5-gallon aluminum or stainless steel pot
  • Rounded lid for the pot
  • Metal or glass bowl that floats inside the pot
  • Fill the large pot partially full of the impure water.
  • Float the collection bowl on the water. The goal is to drip water from the inverted lid into this bowl, so make sure the bowl is large enough to catch the drips.
  • Place the pot lid upside down on the pot. When you heat the water, water vapor will rise in the pot, condense into droplets on the lid, and fall into the collection bowl.
  • Heat the pot. The process occurs more quickly if the water boils , but it’s okay if it only gets hot.
  • If you have ice cubes, place them on top of the pot lid. The ice chills the lid of the pot and helps condense water vapor into liquid water.
  • Use care when removing the lid from the pot so you don’t get burned by steam, the pot, or the hot water. Store the distilled water (the water in the collection bowl) in a clean container. Ideally, store the water in a sterile container (one immersed in boiling water) or dishwasher-cleaned container. Use a container meant for water storage so contaminants don’t leach into the clean water over time.

Alternative Collection Method

A better method is to collect the distilled water outside of the pot. Basically, this is a simple still. It is superior to the first method because it reduces the risk of contaminating the clean water with the “dirty” water and allows for continuous heating of the source water. One option is to place a funnel over the boiling water rather than a lid. Use plastic aquarium tubing or copper tubing to connect the end of the funnel to a collection bottle. Make sure the collection bottle is lower than the funnel so gravity can drain the water.

Distilled Water From Rain or Snow

Another way to get distilled water is to let Mother Nature do the work for you. Rain and snow are naturally distilled water. Water evaporates from the land, ocean, lakes, and rivers and condenses in the atmosphere to fall as precipitation. Precipitation does pick up particulates from the air, but it’s pure enough to drink except in highly polluted areas. Also, it’s important to collect rain or snow fresh from the sky and not off of trees or buildings.

Collect rain or snow in a clean container. Allow time for any sediment to fall to the bottom of the bowl. You can drink this water or further purify it by filtering it through a coffee filter or by boiling it.

Distill Water From Plants, Mud, or Urine

In a dire emergency, you may not have access to niceties like pots and fire. It’s still possible to distill water using a homemade solar still. This method of distillation uses the heat of the Sun to evaporate water that you can collect to drink. You can use any source of moisture, such as urine, dew, plants, damp soil, or sea water. However, be careful to avoid poisonous plants because volatile toxins may contaminate the distilled water. Cacti, ferns, and grasses are generally safe to use. The major disadvantage to this method is that it takes a long time to collect water.

  • Dig a hole in the ground in a sunny location.
  • Place a cup in the center of the bottom of the hole to collect distilled water.
  • Pile damp non-toxic plants or moist soil around the outside of the cup.
  • Cover the hole with a piece of plastic and secure it with rocks or soil. Try to seal the hole as well as you can to prevent moisture from escaping. The plastic traps the water and also traps heat via the greenhouse effect.
  • Place a pebble or other small weight on the plastic right above the buried cup. As water evaporates, it condenses on the plastic and falls toward the depression, finally dripping into the cup.
  • Don’t mess with your set-up except to drink water or add more plants or soil. Every time you unseal the plastic, you release moisture and slow down the process.

One method of constructing a solar still to make distilled water.

Use a Home Distillation Kit

It’s often cheaper to buy distilled water than make it yourself because it costs fuel or electricity to heat water. But, home distillation kits can be less expensive than bottled water, especially if you use sunlight (solar heat) to heat the water. Home distillation kits typically range in price from $100 to several hundred dollars. More expensive kits are used for labs or for processing large volumes of water.

Pros and Cons of Drinking Distilled Water

On the plus side, distilled water is safer to drink than contaminated water. It can save lives when the only available water is seawater, water from a river or stream, or a questionable public water supply. It also removes trace contaminants that are always present in a municipal water supply from the treatment process, including residual aluminum, chlorine, fluorine, and chloramines. Distillation removes radionuclides, heavy metals (including lead from some plumbing), and many organic compounds.

The high level of purification is also an argument against drinking distilled water, at least over the long term. Distillation demineralizes water, removing healthful minerals, such magnesium and calcium. These minerals are associated with positive health effects, especially for the cardiovascular system. If distilled water is the only source of drinking water, it’s important to get these minerals from other sources.

  • Anjaneyulu, L.; Kumar, E. Arun; Sankannavar, Ravi; Rao, K. Kesava (13 June 2012). “Defluoridation of drinking water and rainwater harvesting using a solar still”. Industrial & Engineering Chemistry Research . 51 (23): 8040–8048. doi: 10.1021/ie201692q
  • Fischetti, Mark (September 2007). “Fresh from the Sea”. Scientific American . 297 (3): 118–119. doi: 10.1038/scientificamerican0907-118
  • Kozisek F. (1980). “Health risks from drinking demineralised water”. Nutrients in Drinking Water . World Health Organization. pp. 148–159. ISBN 92-4-159398-9.
  • O’Meagher, Bert; Reid, Dennis; Harvey, Ross (2007). Aids to survival: a handbook on outback survival (25th ed.). Maylands, W.A.: Western Australia Police Academy. ISBN 978-0-646-36303-5.
  • Taylor, F. Sherwood (1945). “The Evolution of the Still”. Annals of Science . 5 (3): 186. doi: 10.1080/00033794500201451

Related Posts

Using Distillation to Purify Water

Please enable JavaScript

(Earth Science for ages 5+)

Did you know that the Earth is 70% water? It’s true, that’s why it is called the “Blue Planet.” Most of this water (97%) is saltwater , which people cannot drink or even use in their everyday life.

In the video above, you can see how distillation occurs with just a bit of heat. Here’s what you’ll need:

When the sun is no longer shining directly on the bowl, this water vapor cools and condenses on the inside of the plastic wrap. Because the plastic wrap is sloped down toward the empty plastic cup, the water condensation drips slowly down into the cup, leaving you with freshwater in the cup and saltwater in the bowl.

This whole process is called distillation because the freshwater is distilled and purified from the saltwater.

Choose an Account to Log In

Roly

Notifications

Science project, distilling water.

Grades Level: 7th - 9th; Type: Chemistry

Make fresh water from salt water by using the process of distillation.

Research Questions:

  • What is an element?
  • What is a mixture?
  • How does a mixture differ from a compound?
  • What is meant by boiling point?
  • What is the boiling point of water?
  • What is distillation, desalination, and desalinization?
  • Why are we or should we be concerned about changing sea water into regular drinking water?

Is it possible to drink sea water? By itself, salt water is harmful to humans, but using a process known as distillation, salt water can become drinkable! In this experiment you will convert salt water into fresh water using distillation, which involves boiling a salt solution so that the water of the solution is turned into water vapor or water gas.

  • Distilling flask
  • Thermometer
  • Liebig condenser
  • 250ml beaker
  • Rubber tubing
  • Rubber stopper
  • Bunsen burner or electric burner
  • Paper towels (for cleanup)

Experimental Procedure:

  • Gather all the materials you will need for this science project. You may wish to include a camera and take photos to include in your report and use on your display charts.
  • Put on your safety equipment.
  • Set up the distillation apparatus and shown in the diagram below. This diagram is provided by the free Wikipedia Encyclopedia. You are free to use it in your report.
  • Start by filling you r beaker with tap water and add one tablespoon of salt. Mix well. Pour the salt water into the distilling flask
  • Place sand in the basin and now place the distilling flask into the sand before you start heating it.
  • Carefully place the burner under the flask.
  • Connect the distilling flask to one end of the Liebig's condenser.
  • Place the condenser so that it slopes downward and that it other end is directly above the beaker.
  • Bring the salt solution to a boil. Keep an eye on that thermometer
  • Collect the water vapor that is now turning into liquid water.
  • Observe. You will find the water is tasteless and has no distinct odor.
  • Write up your experiment. You may wish to include photos of the apparatus. Be certain to include your bibliography.

distillation of water experiment

Terms/Concepts:  elements;  compounds;  mixtures;  solutions; boiling point; distillation; desalinization

References: Wikipedia's Distillation page

Related learning resources

Add to collection, create new collection, new collection, new collection>, sign up to start collecting.

Bookmark this to easily find it later. Then send your curated collection to your children, or put together your own custom lesson plan.

Embibe Logo

Simple Distillation Experiment

To separate a mixture of two miscible liquids by simple distillation.

distillation of water experiment

What is a Simple Distillation Experiment?

Simple distillation separates components from their liquid mixtures based on their boiling point differences. In this method, the mixture to be separated is heated and then cooled using a water condenser. The condensed vapours are then collected from the outlet of the condenser tube. 

In this way, different components are collected at different boiling temperatures. When the mixture’s components differ widely in their boiling points (more than 25 ° C), this method is most suitable for their separation. The liquid obtained after condensation is called distillate and can be easily collected in a beaker or conical flask.

distillation of water experiment

Aim of Experiment:

Apparatus and material required:.

  • Distillation Flask 
  • Laboratory Thermometer (-10 °C to 110 °C) 
  • Two Beakers (250 mL)
  • Tripod Stand
  • Single Bore Cork

A mixture of Water and Acetone

  • Step 1: Place the tripod stand and the wire gauze over the burner. 
  • Step 2: The distillation flask should be kept on the tripod stand and clamped to an iron stand. 
  • Step 3: Now seal the flask using a single bored cork. Insert a laboratory thermometer into the bore of the cork to measure the temperature while boiling the liquid. 
  • Step 4: Insert the distillation flask arm into a condenser attached to an iron stand. 
  • Step 5: The inlets and outlets of the condenser should be properly attached to the water pipes. 
  • Step 6: Place an empty beaker below the open end of the condenser. 
  • Step 7: Heat the mixture of acetone and water slowly and carefully monitor the temperature rise. 
  • Step 8: Observe and note the temperature at which the first component of the mixture distils out; that is, the vapours get cooled and collected in a beaker kept at the other end of the condenser. 
  • Step 9: Continue heating and observe and note the temperature at which the second component distils out. 

Precautions:

  • The thermometer bulb should be at the arm of the distillation flask to prevent any erroneous reading. 
  • The distillation flask should be sealed tightly using the cork to prevent the escape of vapours. 
  • The condenser should be supplied with a continuous flow of cold water. 

FAQs on Simple Distillation Experiment

Q: how do we define boiling point.

Answer: The temperature at which the vapour pressure of a liquid becomes equal to the external pressure surrounding the area of the liquid is known as the boiling point of that liquid.

Q: What is the use of porcelain pieces in the distillation flask?

Answer: While heating the distillation flask, the solution evaporates. Porcelain pieces are placed in the distillation flask to prevent the solution from bumping due to uneven heating.

Q: What is the difference between boiling and evaporation?

Answer: Evaporation is a natural process that occurs when the liquid changes into a gaseous form because of increased pressure or temperature. Evaporation does not produce any bubbles. Boiling is an unnatural process where the liquid gets heated up and vaporised due to continuous heating of the liquid. Boiling produces continuous bubbles during heating.

Q. What are the two processes in distillation?

Answer: Distillation is a two-step process that includes distillation and condensation reflux. The liquid boils at a high temperature, converts into gas, and then condenses. The gas-liquid two-phase flow over the countercurrent contact is commonly carried out in a distillation column.

Q. How can aniline and chloroform be separated?

Answer: The distillation technique can be used to separate aniline and chloroform due to the greater difference in boiling point. The aniline has the formula C6H5NH2. The organic compound chloroform has the formula CHCl3.

distillation of water experiment

Experiments Related to this Topic

Esterification reaction, how can we prepare soap in the lab, comparing the foaming capacity of soap samples, effect of mass on period of a simple pendulum, effect of amplitude on period of a simple pendulum, cleaning capacity of soap, oxidation reaction of alcohol with alkaline kmno4, study reaction of zinc with sulphuric acid, complete combustion of alcohol, phototropism and geotropism.

Embibe

39 Insightful Publications

World Economic Forum

Embibe Is A Global Innovator

accenture

Innovator Of The Year Education Forever

Interpretable And Explainable AI

Interpretable And Explainable AI

Tedx

Revolutionizing Education Forever

Amazon AI Conclave

Best AI Platform For Education

Forbes India

Enabling Teachers Everywhere

ACM

Decoding Performance

World Education Summit

Leading AI Powered Learning Solution Provider

Journal of Educational Data Mining

Auto Generation Of Tests

BW Disrupt

Disrupting Education In India

Springer

Problem Sequencing Using DKT

Fortune India Forty Under Fourty

Help Students Ace India's Toughest Exams

Edtech Digest

Best Education AI Platform

Nasscom Product Connect

Unlocking AI Through Saas

Tech In Asia

Fixing Student’s Behaviour With Data Analytics

Your Story

Leveraging Intelligence To Deliver Results

City AI

Brave New World Of Applied AI

vccircle

You Can Score Higher

INK Talks

Harnessing AI In Education

kstart

Personalized Ed-tech With AI

StartUpGrind

Exciting AI Platform, Personalizing Education

Digital Women Award

Disruptor Award For Maximum Business Impact

The Mumbai Summit 2020 AI

Top 20 AI Influencers In India

USPTO

Proud Owner Of 9 Patents

Close

Trending Searches

growth

Distillation Of Water From an Aqueous Solution Using A Disposable Apparatus.

Introduction: (initial observation).

Distillation is a commonly used method of purification and separation of liquids. Many areas in the world have no access to drinking water, so they make their drinking water by distilling salt water from oceans. As time passes, water get more polluted and access to drinking water becomes more difficult. Bottling companies are vigorously purchasing water resources around the world and soon the only drinking water that we have access to will be expensive bottled water or soda drinks.

distillation of water experiment

Distillation is also used in petrochemical and chemical industries as a means of extracting certain chemicals from mixtures. Natural oil for example is a mixture of many different hydrocarbons. Refineries use distillation to separate them to individual products.

Because of the importance of distillation, this project is an attempt to experiment distillation with a disposable apparatus that is easily available to everyone. Using a disposable apparatus is also a valuable experience for scientists because a successful scientist must be able to utilize everything available to him/her in conducting research in an efficient manner.

This project guide contains information that you need in order to start your project. If you have any questions or need more support about this project, click on the “Ask Question” button on the top of this page to send me a message.

If you are new in doing science project, click on “How to Start” in the main page. There you will find helpful links that describe different types of science projects, scientific method, variables, hypothesis, graph, abstract and all other general basics that you need to know.

Project advisor

Information Gathering:

Find out about distillation and its applications. Read books, magazines, or ask professionals who might know in order to learn about the structure of different distillation apparatuses. Keep track of where you got your information from.

Following are samples of information that you may find.

Although extracting a pure substance from a mixture is done by chemists in chemical factories, often physical properties of material are the key in such separations. Differences in physical properties such as boiling point, melting point, density and solubility can help us separate many substances from a mixture.

Distillation means vaporization of a liquid and subsequent condensation of the resultant gas back to liquid form. It is used to separate liquids from nonvolatile solids or solutes (e.g., alcoholic beverages from the fermented materials, water from other components of seawater) or to separate two or more liquids with different boiling points (e.g., gasoline, kerosene, and lubricating oil from crude oil). Many variations have been devised for industrial applications. An important one is fractional distillation, in which liquids with similar boiling points are repeatedly vaporized and condensed as they rise through an insulated vertical column. The most volatile of the liquids emerges first, nearly pure, from the top of the column, followed in turn by less and less volatile fractions of the original mixture. This method separates the mixture’s components far better than simple distillation does.

Although many people have a fair idea what “distillation” means, the important aspects that seem to be missed from the manufacturing point of view are that:

Source…

distillation is the most common separation technique

it consumes enormous amounts of energy, both in terms of cooling and heating requirements

Distillation is probably the most common technique for purifying liquids. In simple distillation, a liquid is boiled and the vapors work through the apparatus until they reach the condenser where they are cooled and re-liquified.

distillation of water experiment

The process is relatively simple: a) the water based liquid is heated to the boiling point and thus vaporizes b) (becomes steam), while other substances remain in solid state, in boiler. Steam is then directed into a cooler where it cools down and returns to liquid c) the end result is usually a purified liquid.

We can purchase a complete set of a distillation apparatus from a local laboratory supplier or we can setup a simple distillation apparatus as follows:

  • Use a glass test tube or flask as a boiling unit.
  • Use a glass tube as a condenser.
  • Connect the boiling unit to the condenser via a rubber or plastic joint. It can be an elbow tube or any other rubber or plastic tube.
  • Use stands and clamps or any other safe method to secure your setup like the following figure.

Heat source can be an alcohol burner, but you can also use Chafing Dish Fuel cans (sold in supermarkets and used to keep the food warm).

Condensed vapors can be collected in a beaker or glass cup.

Question/ Purpose:

What do you want to find out? Write a statement that describes what you want to do. Use your observations and questions to write the statement.

The purpose of this project is to design and construct a distillation device using readily available materials and use it to separate a colorless liquid from a common colored solution by distillation.

Question: Following are sample questions for this project.

  • What is the rate of fuel consumption in your home made water distillatory? You want to know how much fuel is needed to produce one liter distilled water?
  • How does the rate of production change in a home made distillatory system? You want to know if the production of distilled water start as soon as you start the heat and if it remains at a constant rate.

Note: You may use tea or soda as a colored solution.

Identify Variables:

When you think you know what variables may be involved, think about ways to change one at a time. If you change more than one at a time, you will not know what variable is causing your observation. Sometimes variables are linked and work together to cause something. At first, try to choose variables that you think act independently of each other.

For Question 1:

  • Independent variable is the amount of consumed fuel.
  • Dependent variable is the amount of produced distilled water.
  • Constants are: Distillation time, the type of fuel and the heat source.
  • Controlled variables are: Weather temperature, water temperature prior to distillation.

For Question 2:

  • Independent variable is time
  • Dependent variable is the rate of distillation (how many milliliters per minute)

Hypothesis:

Based on your gathered information, make an educated guess about what types of things affect the system you are working with. Identifying variables is necessary before you can make a hypothesis.

A simple distiller can be constructed using a soda can as a boiling vessel and aluminum foil as condenser.

I estimate the rate of fuel consumption to be about 1% to 5% in a home made distillation device.

Experiment Design:

Design an experiment to test each hypothesis. Make a step-by-step list of what you will do to answer each question. This list is called an experimental procedure. For an experiment to give answers you can trust, it must have a “control.” A control is an additional experimental trial or run. It is a separate experiment, done exactly like the others. The only difference is that no experimental variables are changed. A control is a neutral “reference point” for comparison that allows you to see what changing a variable does by comparing it to not changing anything. Dependable controls are sometimes very hard to develop. They can be the hardest part of a project. Without a control you cannot be sure that changing the variable causes your observations. A series of experiments that includes a control is called a “controlled experiment.”

Experiment 1: (For question 1)

Introduction: This experiment is particularly appropriate for middle school science classes or for a general or first-year course where scientific glassware is unavailable. A simple distillation is performed using a soda can and aluminum foil (or copper pipe) in place of traditional glassware. The experiment works sufficiently well to enable students to obtain a colorless liquid from a colored solution. Not only is the equipment inexpensive and readily available, but the entire apparatus is disposable.

  • Rinse the soda can clean.
  • Add the solution to be distilled until the can is l/3 to l/2 full. Boiling chips may be added if available, but are by no means necessary.
  • Mount the soda can above the burner on a wire screen supported by an iron ring (attached to the ring stand). Mount the second iron ring around and near the top of the can to prevent it from tipping over.
  • Insert the smaller glass jar into the larger one and surround liberally with an Ice-rich slush bath.
  • Prepare an air-cooled condenser made of aluminum foil. This is best done by wrapping the foil lengthwise around a dowel rod or broom handle, taking care to seal the seam that runs the length of the foil tube by making several folds of foil neatly pressed back on itself. (Failure to do this will result in poor efficiency during distillation.)
  • Fit one end of the condenser into the opening at the top of the soda can. Gently bend the other end down and insert it into the smaller glass jar which serves as a receiver flask for the distillation.
  • Heat the soda can and its contents with a steady flame. As the solution boils, some vapor can be seen escaping from around the mouth of the can. Still, enough vapor makes its way through the air-cooled condenser so that condensation soon occurs in the chilled receiver flask.
  • After pouring the mother liquor down the drain, the entire distillation apparatus may be disposed of with the solid waste. If desired, the jars may be saved for re-use. The aluminum cans could be recycled.

If alcohol burners are used, they should be filled when cold, only by the teacher. Adding common salt to the burner fuel makes it easier for students to see the flame and thus avoid possible burns. The aluminum foil condenser becomes quite hot during the distillation. Care should be taken to avoid touching it during collection of the distillate. Goggles must be worn throughout the experiment.

This is a sample setup similar to what is suggested in the above experiment. As you see, you can modify the design based on the material that may be available to you. In this experiment we used aluminum foil to build a condenser tube.

distillation of water experiment

Measurements:

Weigh the alcohol burner before and after the experiment so you can calculate the amount of alcohol used in this process.

Weigh the can before and after the experiment so you can calculate the amount of distilled water.

Calculations:

Divide the amount of fuel used in process of distillation by the amount of distilled water to determine the rate of fuel consumption.

Additional Samples and Pictures:

Here we found a copper tube and matching copper elbow and used it as a condenser.

The problem was that it took a few minutes for milk to boil.

Adult supervision and safe experiment area is required in addition to safety goggles.

distillation of water experiment

In this experiment we are using an electric heater instead of an alcohol burner.

The problem was that so much heat was being wasted because a soda can is small and the heater element is big.

distillation of water experiment

Hear we used a propane torch as a heat source. Wire screen was necessary hear to distribute the flame and heat.

distillation of water experiment

Repeat your tests and enter your data in a data table.  For each experiment write how much fuel did you use and how much distilled water did you collect. Make sure to limit your distillation time and keep it constant. For example you may let the distillation continue for 15 minutes or 30 minutes. Whatever time length you choose, keep it the same every time you try the distillation process. The data table may look like this:

(optional)
in grams in dollars or cents in milliliters (cubic centimeters)

Use the above data table to calculate the average cost of producing distilled water with your home made apparatus.

Make a graph:

You can use a bar graph to visually present your results. Make a vertical bar for each trial. The height of bar will be the amount of distilled water you get on that trial.

If alcohol burners are used, they should be filled when cold, only by an adult. Adding common salt to the wick of the burner makes it easier for you to see the flame and thus avoid possible burns. All components become quite hot during the distillation. Care should be taken to avoid touching it during collection of the distillate. Goggles must be worn throughout the experiment.

Experiment 2: (For question 2)

How does the rate of production change in a home made distillatory system? In this experiment we measure and record the production of distilled water in each minute starting the moment we start the heat.

Prepare your distillation system and allow the distillate enter a plastic cup. On the top of every minute replace the cup with an empty cup. Number the cups you remove as soon as you remove them. Use a pipette or a graduated cylinder to measure the amount of distilled water in each cup. Record your results in a data table like this:

Minute Amount of distillate in milliliters
1
2
3
4
5
6
7

Does your distillatory apparatus have a constant rate of production? If not how does it change? Can you explain the changes?

Materials and Equipment:

Chemicals: crushed ice solution to be distilled–cranberry or apple juice, coke, orange soda, or colored aqueous solution Equipment: empty soda can–Pepsi, 7-Up, etc. 4 to 8-oz clear glass jar with narrow opening at top larger jar or other container to hold jar above 4-In x 12-in piece of aluminum foil Bunsen or alcohol burner ring stand iron rings wire screen Plastic cups (Small) Pipettes or small graduated cylinders

  • A wide variety of common household solutions can be distilled in this experiment, including tea, fruit juices and strongly colored sodas.
  • Highly colored inorganic chemical solutions (KMnO4, K2Cr2O7, CuSO4, etc.) should be avoided because they will react with the aluminum in the cans.

Results of Experiment (Observation):

Experiments are often done in series. A series of experiments can be done by changing one variable a different amount each time. A series of experiments is made up of separate experimental “runs.” During each run you make a measurement of how much the variable affected the system under study. For each run, a different amount of change in the variable is used. This produces a different amount of response in the system. You measure this response, or record data, in a table for this purpose. This is considered “raw data” since it has not been processed or interpreted yet. When raw data gets processed mathematically, for example, it becomes results.

In your experiment results, note the principles which allow distillation to be used as an effective purification tool (i.e., contaminants must be non-volatile). Be sure to compare the color of the starting material with that of the distillate.

Is your distilled water colorless?

Is your distilled water free of odors?

Is it free of salts?

Summary of Results:

Summarize what happened. This can be in the form of a table of processed numerical data, or graphs. It could also be a written statement of what occurred during experiments.

It is from calculations using recorded data that tables and graphs are made. Studying tables and graphs, we can see trends that tell us how different variables cause our observations. Based on these trends, we can draw conclusions about the system under study. These conclusions help us confirm or deny our original hypothesis. Often, mathematical equations can be made from graphs. These equations allow us to predict how a change will affect the system without the need to do additional experiments. Advanced levels of experimental science rely heavily on graphical and mathematical analysis of data. At this level, science becomes even more interesting and powerful.

Conclusion:

Using the trends in your experimental data and your experimental observations, try to answer your original questions. Is your hypothesis correct? Now is the time to pull together what happened, and assess the experiments you did.

Related Questions & Answers:

What you have learned may allow you to answer other questions. Many questions are related. Several new questions may have occurred to you while doing experiments. You may now be able to understand or verify things that you discovered when gathering information for the project. Questions lead to more questions, which lead to additional hypothesis that need to be tested.

What would happen if the contaminants in water were volatile such as alcohol or acetic acid?

Possible Errors:

If you did not observe anything different than what happened with your control, the variable you changed may not affect the system you are investigating. If you did not observe a consistent, reproducible trend in your series of experimental runs there may be experimental errors affecting your results. The first thing to check is how you are making your measurements. Is the measurement method questionable or unreliable? Maybe you are reading a scale incorrectly, or maybe the measuring instrument is working erratically.

If you determine that experimental errors are influencing your results, carefully rethink the design of your experiments. Review each step of the procedure to find sources of potential errors. If possible, have a scientist review the procedure with you. Sometimes the designer of an experiment can miss the obvious.

For better sealing of the condenser tube, use one of the following procedures. The aluminum foil at the mouth of the can may be sealed with masking tape. Alternately, the condenser tube can be fitted carefully into corks or stoppers at the mouths of the can and the collection bottle; however, the system should not be completely sealed.

It is possible that a large portion of heat is being wasted. By using insulating material, you may probably reduce the rate of fuel consumption.

References:

Holtzclaw, H.F., Jr., Robinson, W.R., and Nebergall, W.R., College Chemistry with Qualitative Analysis, D.C. Heath and Company, Lexington, MA, 1984, p. 285. This work describes the theory of distillation. A similar discussion could be found in any college-level chemistry text.

Need Chemicals?

Attention Chemists, Schools, & Colleges ChemicalStore.com offers a large selection of chemicals for research and education at affordable price and convenience of online ordering. Visit ChemicalStore.com today.

distillation of water experiment

It is always important for students, parents and teachers to know a good source for science related equipment and supplies they need for their science activities. Please note that many online stores for science supplies are managed by MiniScience.

Testimonials

" I called School Time and my husband and son came with me for the tour. We felt the magic immediately."

- Robby Robinson

" My husband and son came with me for the tour. We felt the magic immediately."

- Zoe Ranson

Contact Info

Our address, working hours.

Week Days: 07:00-19:00

Saturday: 09:00-15:00

Sunday: Closed

Science Project

Top Ten Projects

  • Candle Race
  • Home-Made Glue #1
  • Soil Erosion
  • Volcanic Gas
  • Accelerate Rusting
  • Vibrating Coin
  • Mentos Soda Volcano
  • Musical Bottles
  • Human Battery Power

Latest Projects

  • Sweet Erosion
  • Your Planetary Age
  • Exploding Ziploc
  • Dehydrated Potato
  • Homemade Windmill

Want to contribute?

Distillation of water.

To convert impure water into chemically pure water by distillation

Additional information

Distilled water finds its use in a wide range of applications where the natural dissolved salts that water normally contains are not desirable. Some of these are topping up lead acid batteries, preparing aseptic solutions in hospitals, automotive cooling systems, steam irons, etc. Distilled water is not however, considered to be suitable for human consumption on a regular basis simply because it lacks the natural beneficial minerals that ordinary drinking water contains. Besides, its bland taste is not very pleasant to the taste buds!

Sponsored Links

Required materials.

  • Impure (muddy) water
  • Distilling flask with thermometer
  • Liebig’s condenser with stand
  • Rubber cork / tubing
  • Bunsen burner
  • Tripod stand
  • Stand with clamp
  • Basin filled with sand

Estimated Experiment Time

Approximately 2 hours

Step-By-Step Procedure

  • 1. Pour the muddy water into the distilling flask.
  • 2. Use the stand to hold the flask in place, supported by the tripod stand.
  • 3. Place the burner below this.
  • 4. Connect the pout of the distilling flask to one end of the Liebig’s condenser.
  • 5. Position the Liebig’s condenser using its stand so that it slopes downward slightly; its pout (other end) must open directly above the beaker.
  • 6. Bring the muddy water to a boil and collect the condensed liquid for observation.
  • Place the distilling flask in a sand basin before heating it – this will prevent vigorous boiling and damage thereof to the apparatus.
  • Use the thermometer to monitor the temperature of the boiling liquid.
  • The Liebig’s condenser is an integral part of the simple distillation process – it consists of two concentric layers of glass of which the outer layer has air vents that facilitate the cooling of the inner glass tube. This in turn allows condensation of vapors to take place within it.

Observation

The condensed liquid that gets collected in the beaker is clear as well as tasteless and odorless.

Pure and clear water can be obtained from an impure solution by simple distillation. In this process, the impure solution is heated so as to turn it into water vapor; this is later condensed in a Liebig’s condenser to form pure water. Hence distillation is one of the most complete methods of purifying water.

Take a moment to visit our table of Periodic Elements page where you can get an in-depth view of all the elements, complete with the industry first side-by-side element comparisons!

Your email:
Your name:
Recipient email:
Recipient name:
Message:
 
Share this project with friends, family, or anyone else you think may enjoy it! Add it to your social bookmark accounts now so you can keep it for reference in the future and access from home, school, work, or even the local coffee shop!
Rate this project.
 

All Projects List

All Categories

home | about us | support | link to us | usage agreement | privacy policy | sitemap article resources -->

Copyright 2007, Sciencefairadventure.com. All Rights Reserved.

January 28, 2016

Separation by Distillation

A vaporizing science project from Science Buddies

By Science Buddies

distillation of water experiment

Can you separate the ingredients of a solution using just heat? Try this sweet activity and find out! 

George Retseck

Key concepts Physics Boiling point Condensation Distillation

Introduction Do you like cooking? If you have helped in the kitchen at home or watched someone else cook, you have probably seen lots of liquids—such as water, milk and soup—heated. Did you notice that once the liquid boils, a lot of steam develops? Have you ever wondered what the steam is made of and what happens to all the substances such as sugar or salt that are dissolved in the solution you are boiling? Do they boil off, too, or do they stay behind in the solution? In this activity you will build a distillation device that allows you to sample the steam that you generate while boiling a fruit juice! How do you think it will taste?

Background What do you need to make a solution? First, you need water or a solvent and then you need a substance such as sugar or salt to dissolve, also called the solute. The solvent and solute become one solution—a homogeneous mixture—in which you cannot see the difference between them anymore. Most solutions actually contain many different substances. But what if you want to separate the individual components from a liquid solution? There is a process called distillation that allows you to do just that. It is used in many real-world applications, such as making medicine, perfumes or some food products.

On supporting science journalism

If you're enjoying this article, consider supporting our award-winning journalism by subscribing . By purchasing a subscription you are helping to ensure the future of impactful stories about the discoveries and ideas shaping our world today.

Distillation exploits the differences in the volatility of the solution's components, which means that every compound has a different boiling point and starts to vaporize (change from its liquid to gaseous state) at a different temperature. When distilling, you heat up the solution so that the component with the lowest boiling point evaporates first, leaving the other solutes behind. The vaporized component in the gaseous state can then be collected in a different container by condensation and is called distillate. This means that the vapor is cooled down so the gas becomes a liquid again. By changing the distillation temperature, you can separate many different substances according to their different volatilities. If you have a solution that includes a nonvolatile solute, however, this compound will always stay behind in the solution.

Knowing now how distillation works, what do you think will happen to the fruit juice once you heat it? Make your own distillation device and find out!

Stove (Always work with an adult helper when using the stove.)

Deep cooking pot with sloped lid (transparent lid, if you have one)

Ceramic bowl

Small ceramic plate or ceramic coffee cup

Three glasses

Apple or cranberry juice (about half a liter)

Liquid measuring cup

Broth (optional)

Cooking thermometer (optional)

Vinegar (optional)

Preparation

Make sure all of your materials are clean. (Then you will be able to sample the juice and products at the end of the activity.)

Place the small ceramic plate in the center of the cooking pot. Depending on how deep your pot is, you can also place a ceramic coffee cup in its center.

Place a ceramic bowl on top of the small plate or coffee cup.

Put your pot on the stove.

Measure out and pour one cup of the fruit juice into a glass. Have a look at its color and take a small sip to taste it. Is it very sweet? How does the color look; is it very intense? Keep the rest of the juice for comparison at the end.

Pour an extra cup of colored fruit juice in the bottom of the pot. (Your small ceramic plate or ceramic coffee cup will now be standing in the juice.)

Together with your adult helper, turn on the stove to medium heat and bring the juice to a boil. It should be a moderate rather than a rolling boil. Can you see the steam developing once your juice starts boiling?

Now place the cover on the pot, upside down, so that the tip of the sloping lid is facing toward the bowl placed inside the pot. What happens to the steam once you close the lid?

Put ice in the cover of the pot. You might have to replace the ice in the lid as it melts. If you use a transparent lid, can you see droplets forming on the inward-facing side of the lid? Where do they come from and what happens to the droplets?

Allow the juice to boil for 20 to 30 minutes, making sure some juice always remains in the bottom of the pot. Do you see any changes in the amount of juice inside the pot?

After 20 to 30 minutes, turn the burner off. Allow the pot to cool for a few minutes.

Put on oven mitts and carefully remove the cover from the pot. What do you notice about the empty bowl that you placed under the lid?

Still wearing hot mitts, lift the bowl off the small ceramic plate or coffee cup and set it down on a heat-resistant surface.

Remove the small plate or coffee cup. Looking at the remaining juice in the pot, is there more or less juice left than the amount you poured in?

After it cools, pour the remaining juice from the pot into a glass. Did the juice change during boiling? What is different?

Pour the cooled distillate (the condensed steam), which is now the liquid inside the small bowl, into a glass. How does the distillate look?

Now take the glass from the beginning with the original juice, and place it next to the remaining juice and distillate. Compare their appearances. How do they differ? Did you expect these results? Why do you think the juice changed the way it did? How much fruit juice is left compared with what you poured into the pot?

Let the liquids cool to room temperature. Because you used clean kitchen utensils and edible fruit juice in this experiment, go ahead and take a sip of each of the solutions. How do the three different liquids compare in taste? Which one is the sweetest? Which one is the least sweet? How does the condensed steam taste? Why do you think is there a difference?

Finally, recombine the distillate and the remaining fruit juice by pouring the distillate into the remaining fruit juice. Do the volumes add up to what you put in at the beginning? How do the appearance and taste of this solution compare with the original fruit juice?

Extra: Repeat this activity with a salty solution, such as broth, instead of the sweet fruit juice. Do you think the results will be similar? What happens to the salt in the broth when you are boiling it?

Extra: Try to do this experiment again with household vinegar. Vinegar is a mixture of about 4 to 6 percent acetic acid and water. Can you separate these two liquids by distillation? How does your distillate taste in this case?

Extra: You might know that the boiling temperature of pure water is 100 degrees Celsius (212 degrees Fahrenheit) at normal atmospheric pressure. Adding a solute such as sugar, salt or other compounds to water will change the boiling point of the resulting solution. Try heating up your three liquids (original juice, distillate and remaining juice) and measure their boiling points with a thermometer. Are they very different? How does the boiling point change with increasing solute concentration?

Observations and results Juices are usually very sweet. This is because fruits contain a lot of fruit sugar, called fructose. More than 80 percent of most fruits, however, consist of water, so basically the apple or cranberry juice is a mixture of water and sugar. Once you reach the boiling point of the juice, it will start to evaporate and you will see steam coming out of the pot. If you close the pot with a lid, the steam rises up to the lid, and because the lid is much colder than the steam (especially after you put the ice on top), the vapor cools down rapidly and it condenses, becoming a liquid again that you can see in the form of droplets inside the lid. These droplets fall and are collected in the bowl that you have placed in the pot. As the juice boiled, you probably noticed that the amount of water in the bowl increased whereas the amount of juice in the pot decreased. This is because the steam, which was part of the juice, was collected in a separate container. If combined, the distillate and the remaining juice should add up to a similar volume of juice that you had in the beginning.

When you compared the three different solutions at the end (original juice, distillate and remaining juice), the first thing you probably saw was that the color of the remaining juice became much darker and the distillate had no color at all and looked like pure water. And it actually is pure water; it shouldn't have had any sweetness when you tasted it whereas the remaining juice should have tasted much sweeter than the original juice. The reason for this is that sugar is a nonvolatile compound, which means that when you boil any sugary liquid, the sugar will stay behind in the solution and not be transferred into a gaseous state. The water component of the mixture, however, starts to evaporate at about 100 degrees C, resulting in a steam consisting of pure water. Salt is also a nonvolatile substance and if you repeated the activity with broth, your distillate also should have been pure water. If you compared the boiling points of all three solutions at the end, you might have noticed that you can increase water’s boiling point by adding solutes—the higher the amount of solutes, the higher its boiling point will be.

Vinegar, on the other hand—or a mixture of 4 to 6 percent acetic acid and water—is not easily separable by distillation. This is because the boiling points of water (100 degrees C) and vinegar (about 100.6 degrees C) and are too close together to result in a full separation of both components. You should have noticed that the distillate still tasted like vinegar.

More to explore Distillation , from TutorVista How Oil Refining Works , from How Stuff Works Science Activity for All Ages! , from Science Buddies

This activity brought to you in partnership with Science Buddies

distillation of water experiment

Remember Me

Vernier

Shop Experiment Fractional Distillation Experiments​

Fractional distillation.

Experiment #8 from Chemistry with Vernier

distillation of water experiment

Introduction

An example of a simple distillation is the separation of a solution of salt and water into two separate pure substances. When the salt water solution is heated to boiling, water vapor from the mixture reaches the condenser and the cold water circulating around the inside tube causes condensation of water vapor into droplets of liquid water. The liquid water is then collected at the lower end of the condenser. The non-volatile salt remains in the flask.

In this experiment, the initial mixture you distill contains two volatile liquids: ethanol and water. In this distillation, both of the liquids will evaporate from the boiling solution. Ethanol and water have normal boiling temperatures of 79°C and 100°C, respectively. One objective of the experiment is to observe what happens when a liquid-liquid mixture is heated and allowed to boil over a period of time. Throughout the distillation, volumes of distillate, called fractions , will be collected. The percent composition of ethanol and water in each fraction will be determined from its density. Water has a density of 1.00 g/cm 3 (at 20°C) and ethanol has a density of 0.79 g/cm 3 (at 20°C). The fractions you collect will have densities in this range.

In this experiment, you will

  • Observe what happens when a liquid-liquid mixture is heated and allowed to boil over a period of time.
  • Determine percent composition of ethanol and water in the fraction from its density.

Sensors and Equipment

This experiment features the following sensors and equipment. Additional equipment may be required.

distillation of water experiment

Correlations

Teaching to an educational standard? This experiment supports the standards below.

Ready to Experiment?

Ask an expert.

Get answers to your questions about how to teach this experiment with our support team.

Purchase the Lab Book

This experiment is #8 of Chemistry with Vernier . The experiment in the book includes student instructions as well as instructor information for set up, helpful hints, and sample graphs and data.

distillation of water experiment

Encyclopedia Britannica

  • History & Society
  • Science & Tech
  • Biographies
  • Animals & Nature
  • Geography & Travel
  • Arts & Culture
  • Games & Quizzes
  • On This Day
  • One Good Fact
  • New Articles
  • Lifestyles & Social Issues
  • Philosophy & Religion
  • Politics, Law & Government
  • World History
  • Health & Medicine
  • Browse Biographies
  • Birds, Reptiles & Other Vertebrates
  • Bugs, Mollusks & Other Invertebrates
  • Environment
  • Fossils & Geologic Time
  • Entertainment & Pop Culture
  • Sports & Recreation
  • Visual Arts
  • Demystified
  • Image Galleries
  • Infographics
  • Top Questions
  • Britannica Kids
  • Saving Earth
  • Space Next 50
  • Student Center

Crude-oil fractional distillation column diagram

distillation

Our editors will review what you’ve submitted and determine whether to revise the article.

  • Iowa State University Digital Press - Distillation
  • The Essential Chemical Industry - online - Distillation
  • University of Massachusetts Amherst - BMB and Chemistry - Distillation
  • Chemistry LibreTexts Library - Distillation

Crude-oil fractional distillation column diagram

distillation , process involving the conversion of a liquid into vapour that is subsequently condensed back to liquid form. It is exemplified at its simplest when steam from a kettle becomes deposited as drops of distilled water on a cold surface . Distillation is used to separate liquids from nonvolatile solids, as in the separation of alcoholic liquors from fermented materials, or in the separation of two or more liquids having different boiling points, as in the separation of gasoline, kerosene, and lubricating oil from crude oil . Other industrial applications include the processing of such chemical products as formaldehyde and phenol and the desalination of seawater. The distillation process appears to have been utilized by the earliest experimentalists. Aristotle (384–322 bce ) mentioned that pure water is made by the evaporation of seawater. Pliny the Elder (23–79 ce ) described a primitive method of condensation in which the oil obtained by heating rosin is collected on wool placed in the upper part of an apparatus known as a still.

Most methods of distillation used by industry and in laboratory research are variations of simple distillation. This basic operation requires the use of a still or retort in which a liquid is heated, a condenser to cool the vapour, and a receiver to collect the distillate. In heating a mixture of substances, the most volatile or the lowest boiling distills first, and the others subsequently or not at all. This simple apparatus is entirely satisfactory for the purification of a liquid containing nonvolatile material and is reasonably adequate for separating liquids of widely divergent boiling points. For laboratory use, the apparatus is commonly made of glass and connected with corks, rubber bungs, or ground-glass joints. For industrial applications, larger equipment of metal or ceramic is employed.

distillation of water experiment

A method called fractional distillation , or differential distillation, has been developed for certain applications, such as petroleum refining , because simple distillation is not efficient for separating liquids whose boiling points lie close to one another. In this operation the vapours from a distillation are repeatedly condensed and revaporized in an insulated vertical column. Especially important in this connection are the still heads, fractionating columns, and condensers that permit the return of some of the condensed vapour toward the still. The objective is to achieve the closest possible contact between rising vapour and descending liquid so as to allow only the most volatile material to proceed in the form of vapour to the receiver while returning the less volatile material as liquid toward the still. The purification of the more volatile component by contact between such countercurrent streams of vapour and liquid is referred to as rectification, or enrichment.

Multiple-effect distillation , often called multistage-flash evaporation, is another elaboration of simple distillation. This operation, used primarily by large commercial desalting plants, does not require heating to convert a liquid into vapour. The liquid is simply passed from a container under high atmospheric pressure to one under lower pressure. The reduced pressure causes the liquid to vaporize rapidly; the resulting vapour is then condensed into distillate.

A variation of the reduced-pressure process uses a vacuum pump to produce a very high vacuum. This method, called vacuum distillation , is sometimes employed when dealing with substances that normally boil at inconveniently high temperatures or that decompose when boiling under atmospheric pressure. Steam distillation is an alternative method of achieving distillation at temperatures lower than the normal boiling point . It is applicable when the material to be distilled is immiscible (incapable of mixing) and chemically nonreactive with water. Examples of such materials include fatty acids and soybean oils. The usual procedure is to pass steam into the liquid in the still to supply heat and cause evaporation of the liquid.

Your browser is not supported

Sorry but it looks as if your browser is out of date. To get the best experience using our site we recommend that you upgrade or switch browsers.

Find a solution

  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to navigation

distillation of water experiment

  • Back to parent navigation item
  • Primary teacher
  • Secondary/FE teacher
  • Early career or student teacher
  • Higher education
  • Curriculum support
  • Literacy in science teaching
  • Periodic table
  • Interactive periodic table
  • Climate change and sustainability
  • Resources shop
  • Collections
  • Remote teaching support
  • Starters for ten
  • Screen experiments
  • Assessment for learning
  • Microscale chemistry
  • Faces of chemistry
  • Classic chemistry experiments
  • Nuffield practical collection
  • Anecdotes for chemistry teachers
  • On this day in chemistry
  • Global experiments
  • PhET interactive simulations
  • Chemistry vignettes
  • Context and problem based learning
  • Journal of the month
  • Chemistry and art
  • Art analysis
  • Pigments and colours
  • Ancient art: today's technology
  • Psychology and art theory
  • Art and archaeology
  • Artists as chemists
  • The physics of restoration and conservation
  • Ancient Egyptian art
  • Ancient Greek art
  • Ancient Roman art
  • Classic chemistry demonstrations
  • In search of solutions
  • In search of more solutions
  • Creative problem-solving in chemistry
  • Solar spark
  • Chemistry for non-specialists
  • Health and safety in higher education
  • Analytical chemistry introductions
  • Exhibition chemistry
  • Introductory maths for higher education
  • Commercial skills for chemists
  • Kitchen chemistry
  • Journals how to guides
  • Chemistry in health
  • Chemistry in sport
  • Chemistry in your cupboard
  • Chocolate chemistry
  • Adnoddau addysgu cemeg Cymraeg
  • The chemistry of fireworks
  • Festive chemistry
  • Education in Chemistry
  • Teach Chemistry
  • On-demand online
  • Live online
  • Selected PD articles
  • PD for primary teachers
  • PD for secondary teachers
  • What we offer
  • Chartered Science Teacher (CSciTeach)
  • Teacher mentoring
  • UK Chemistry Olympiad
  • Who can enter?
  • How does it work?
  • Resources and past papers
  • Top of the Bench
  • Schools' Analyst
  • Regional support
  • Education coordinators
  • RSC Yusuf Hamied Inspirational Science Programme
  • RSC Education News
  • Supporting teacher training
  • Interest groups

A primary school child raises their hand in a classroom

  • More navigation items

Recovering water from copper(II) sulfate solution

In association with Nuffield Foundation

  • No comments

Try this practical to introduce students to aqueous solutions using simple distillation

In this experiment, students use basic apparatus to evaporate and condense the water from copper(II) sulfate solution.

This is a simple introduction to aqueous solutions. Water is the solvent and it is only water that distils off when a solution is boiled. Other coloured solutions can be used – ink was the traditional one, but few students will still use ink pens and fewer will be aware of ‘bottles of ink’.

The apparatus may be quite complicated to set up for students at an early stage in their chemical careers. It is recommended that the flasks are set up with delivery tubes for the students. The clamped apparatus should also be set up in advance for the students if there are any doubts about their ability to do this correctly.

Pupils must be standing up while practical work is being carried out.

More water can be condensed if a beaker of water is held round the collecting tube. This leads to the idea of a water condenser as a more efficient way of collecting the water – see this procedure for demonstrating how to recover pure water from a solution using a water condenser .

The experiment will take about 20 minutes.

  • Eye protection
  • Conical flask, 100 cm 3
  • Cork or bung with hole for delivery tube, to fit flask (see the diagram below)
  • Lengths of glass tubing, bent as shown in the diagram
  • Rubber connection tubing
  • Stand and two clamps
  • Tripod and gauze
  • Bunsen burner
  • Heat resistant mat
  • Measuring cylinder, 25 cm 3
  • Copper(II) sulfate(VI) solution, about 0.5 M, 20 cm 3  per group

Health, safety and technical notes

  • Read our standard health and safety guidance.
  • Wear eye protection throughout.
  • Copper(II) sulfate(VI) solution, CuSO 4 (aq) – see CLEAPSS Hazcard  HC027c  and Recipe Book RB031.
  • The solution left in the flask should be recycled by diluting after the experiment (the exact concentration is not important, but note that solutions of greater concentration than 1 mol dm –3 should be labelled HARMFUL).

A diagram showing the apparatus required for distilling water from copper(II) sulfate solution using evaporation and condensation

Source: Royal Society of Chemistry

The apparatus required for evaporating and condensing water from copper(II) sulfate solution

  • Set up a Bunsen burner on the base of a stand placed on a heat resistant mat.
  • Place a tripod and gauze above the burner.
  • Clamp a flask and a test tube as shown in the diagram.
  • Collect 20 cm 3  of copper sulfate solution and place it in the flask.
  • Fix the tubing in position as in the diagram.
  • Light the Bunsen and heat the flask gently with a small flame. Do not heat to dryness.
  • Water should distil over into the collecting tube.

Teaching notes

The colourless liquid collected can be assumed to be water at this stage. The main point is that it is not blue. It may be possible to detect a darkening of the original solution, showing that it is becoming more concentrated.

Additional information

This is a resource from the  Practical Chemistry project , developed by the Nuffield Foundation and the Royal Society of Chemistry.

Practical Chemistry activities accompany  Practical Physics  and  Practical Biology .

© Nuffield Foundation and the Royal Society of Chemistry

  • 11-14 years
  • Practical experiments
  • Compounds and mixtures

Specification

  • 8 Analysis and purification of water samples from different sources, including pH, dissolved solids and distillation.
  • Water that is safe to drink is called potable water. Potable water is not pure water in the chemical sense because it contains dissolved substances.
  • Describe the differences in treatment of ground water and salty .
  • Give reasons for the steps used to produce potable water.
  • RP11 Analysis and purification of water samples from different sources, including pH, dissolved solids and distillation.
  • 13 Analysis and purification of water samples from different sources, including pH, dissolved solids and distillation.
  • 2.12 Describe how: waste and ground water can be made potable, including the need for sedimentation, filtration and chlorination; sea water can be made potable by using distillation; water used in analysis must not contain any dissolved salts
  • C1.4.1 describe the principal methods for increasing the availability of potable water, in terms of the separation techniques used, including the ease of treating waste, ground and salt water including filtration and membrane filtration; aeration, use of…
  • C6.3g describe the principal methods for increasing the availability of potable water in terms of the separation techniques used
  • C6.2g describe the principal methods for increasing the availability of potable water in terms of the separation techniques used
  • 2. Develop and use models to describe the nature of matter; demonstrate how they provide a simple way to to account for the conservation of mass, changes of state, physical change, chemical change, mixtures, and their separation.
  • 4. Classify substances as elements, compounds, mixtures, metals, non-metals, solids, liquids, gases and solutions.

Related articles

Previews of the Review my learning: solubility teacher guidance and scaffolded student sheets

Solubility | Review my learning worksheets | 14–16 years

By Lyn Nicholls

Identify learning gaps and misconceptions with this set of worksheets offering three levels of support

Previews of the Review my learning: representing elements and compounds teacher guidance and scaffolded student sheets

Representing elements and compounds | Review my learning worksheets | 14–16 years

Tubes of flourescent spheres and organic molcules

How to teach chromatography at post-16

2024-03-11T04:00:00Z By Andy Markwick

Everything you need to help your students master the fundamentals of this analytical technique

No comments yet

Only registered users can comment on this article., more experiments.

Image showing a one page from the technician notes, teacher notes, student sheet and integrated instructions that make up this resource, plus two bags of chocolate coins

‘Gold’ coins on a microscale | 14–16 years

By Dorothy Warren and Sandrine Bouchelkia

Practical experiment where learners produce ‘gold’ coins by electroplating a copper coin with zinc, includes follow-up worksheet

potion labels

Practical potions microscale | 11–14 years

By Kirsty Patterson

Observe chemical changes in this microscale experiment with a spooky twist.

An image showing the pages available in the downloads with a water bottle in the shape of a 6 in the foreground.

Antibacterial properties of the halogens | 14–18 years

By Kristy Turner

Use this practical to investigate how solutions of the halogens inhibit the growth of bacteria and which is most effective

  • Contributors
  • Email alerts

Site powered by Webvision Cloud

Information

  • Author Services

Initiatives

You are accessing a machine-readable page. In order to be human-readable, please install an RSS reader.

All articles published by MDPI are made immediately available worldwide under an open access license. No special permission is required to reuse all or part of the article published by MDPI, including figures and tables. For articles published under an open access Creative Common CC BY license, any part of the article may be reused without permission provided that the original article is clearly cited. For more information, please refer to https://www.mdpi.com/openaccess .

Feature papers represent the most advanced research with significant potential for high impact in the field. A Feature Paper should be a substantial original Article that involves several techniques or approaches, provides an outlook for future research directions and describes possible research applications.

Feature papers are submitted upon individual invitation or recommendation by the scientific editors and must receive positive feedback from the reviewers.

Editor’s Choice articles are based on recommendations by the scientific editors of MDPI journals from around the world. Editors select a small number of articles recently published in the journal that they believe will be particularly interesting to readers, or important in the respective research area. The aim is to provide a snapshot of some of the most exciting work published in the various research areas of the journal.

Original Submission Date Received: .

  • Active Journals
  • Find a Journal
  • Proceedings Series
  • For Authors
  • For Reviewers
  • For Editors
  • For Librarians
  • For Publishers
  • For Societies
  • For Conference Organizers
  • Open Access Policy
  • Institutional Open Access Program
  • Special Issues Guidelines
  • Editorial Process
  • Research and Publication Ethics
  • Article Processing Charges
  • Testimonials
  • Preprints.org
  • SciProfiles
  • Encyclopedia

processes-logo

Article Menu

distillation of water experiment

  • Subscribe SciFeed
  • Recommended Articles
  • Google Scholar
  • on Google Scholar
  • Table of Contents

Find support for a specific problem in the support section of our website.

Please let us know what you think of our products and services.

Visit our dedicated information section to learn more about MDPI.

JSmol Viewer

Experimental study of the characteristics of hi distillation in the thermochemical iodine–sulfur cycle for hydrogen production.

distillation of water experiment

1. Introduction

2. hi x distillation experimental system and analysis method, 2.1. preparation of initial ternary mixed solution, 2.2. hi distillation equipment, 2.3. operation of the distillation column, 2.4. analysis method, 3. simulation model, 3.1. thermodynamic model, 3.2. design of hi x distillation column, 4. results and discussion, 4.1. the impact of reflux ratio on distillation, 4.2. the impact of feed temperature on distillation, 4.3. the impact of feed stage on distillation, 4.4. aspen plus simulation, 4.5. error analysis, 5. conclusions.

  • As the feed position increases, the separation effect of the light components at the top of the column worsens while the separation effect of the heavy components at the bottom of the column improves. Consequently, the HI concentration in the top product gradually increases; however, the I 2 concentration also increases.
  • As the reflux ratio increases, the separation effect of the light components at the top of the column improves, and the separation effect of the heavy components at the bottom of the column also improves. Consequently, the I 2 concentration in the top product decreases; however, the HI concentration also decreases.
  • As the feed temperature approaches the boiling point temperature, the overall separation efficiency within the column increases.
  • As the reboiler heat load increases with the reflux ratio, an excessively high reflux ratio will affect the overall distillation thermal efficiency.
  • To obtain a high-concentration HI solution with a lower I 2 content and a lower reboiler heat load, this study concludes that the optimal distillation effect can be achieved with a feed position at 1/3 of the column height, a reflux ratio of 1.4, and a feed temperature at the boiling point temperature.

Author Contributions

Data availability statement, conflicts of interest.

  • Bockris, J.O.M. A hydrogen economy. Science 1972 , 176 , 1323. [ Google Scholar ] [ CrossRef ] [ PubMed ]
  • Adolf, J.; Balzer, C.H.; Louis, J.; Schabla, U.; Schüwer, D. Shell Hydrogen Study Energy of the Future? Sustainable Mobility through Fuel Cells and H 2 ; Wuppertal Institut: Wuppertal, Germany, 2017. [ Google Scholar ]
  • Chen, Z.; Grace, J.R.; Lim, C.J.; Li, A. Experimental studies of pure hydrogen production in a commercialized fluidized-bed membrane reactor with SMR and ATR catalysts. Int. J. Hydrogen Energy 2007 , 13 , 2359–2366. [ Google Scholar ] [ CrossRef ]
  • Hisatomi, T.; Kubota, J.; Domen, K. Recent advances in semiconductors for photocatalytic and photoelectrochemical water splitting. Hemical Soc. Rev. 2014 , 43 , 7520–7535. [ Google Scholar ] [ CrossRef ]
  • Stojić, D.L.; Marčeta, M.P.; Sovilj, S.P.; Miljanić, Š.S. Hydrogen generation from water electrolysis—Possibilities of energy saving. J. Power Sources 2003 , 118 , 315–319. [ Google Scholar ] [ CrossRef ]
  • Giaconia, A.; Lanchi, M.; Tarquini, P.; Liberatore, R.; Grena, R. Hydrogen Production by Means of S-I Thermochemical Cycle Powered by Combined Solar-fossil Energy. In Proceedings of the Spring National Meeting, Atlanta, GA, USA, 10–14 April 2005. [ Google Scholar ]
  • Liberatore, R.; Caputo, G.; Favuzza, P.; Felici, C.; Tarquini, P. Hydrogen Production by Sulphur Iodine Cycle Fed by Solar Energy: Realization of a Laboratory Plant and Possible Spin-off on the Industrial Field. In Proceedings of the 2009 AIChE Annual Meeting, Nashville, TN, USA, 8–13 November 2009. [ Google Scholar ]
  • Beghi, G.E. Review of thermochemical hydrogen production. Int. J. Hydrogen Energy 1981 , 6 , 555–566. [ Google Scholar ] [ CrossRef ]
  • Li, W.; He, S.; Li, S. Experimental Study and Thermodynamic Analysis of Hydrogen Production through a Two-Step Chemical Regenerative Coal Gasification. Appl. Sci. 2019 , 9 , 3035. [ Google Scholar ] [ CrossRef ]
  • Liberatore, R.; Ceroli, A.; Lanchi, M.; Spadoni, A.; Tarquini, P. Experimental vapour–liquid equilibrium data of HI–H 2 O–I 2 mixtures for hydrogen production by Sulphur–Iodine thermochemical cycle. Int. J. Hydrogen Energy 2008 , 33 , 4283–4290. [ Google Scholar ] [ CrossRef ]
  • Engels, H.; Knoche, K.F. Vapor pressures of the system HI/H 2 O/I 2 and H 2 . Int. J. Hydrogen Energy 1986 , 11 , 703–707. [ Google Scholar ] [ CrossRef ]
  • Norman, J.H.; Besenbruch, G.E.; Brown, L.C.; O’Keefe, D.R.; Allen, C.L. Thermochemical Water-Splitting Cycle, Bench-Scale Investigations, and Process Engineering. Final Report, February 1977–31 December 1981 ; General Atomics: San Diego, CA, USA, 2018. [ Google Scholar ]
  • Moore, R.; Parma, E.; Russ, B.; Sweet, W.; Pickard, P. An Integrated Laboratory-Scale Experiment on the Sulfur-Iodine Thermochemical Cycle for Hydrogen Production. In Proceedings of the Fourth International Topical Meeting on High Temperature Reactor Technology, Washington, DC, USA, 28 September–1 October 2008. [ Google Scholar ]
  • Lanchi, M.; Laria, F.; Liberatore, R.; Marrelli, L.; Sau, S.; Spadoni, A.; Tarquini, P. HI extraction by H 3 PO 4 in the Sulfur-Iodine thermochemical water splitting cycle: Composition optimization of the HI/H 2 O/H 3 PO 4 /I 2 biphasic quaternary system. Int. J. Hydrogen Energy 2009 , 34 , 6120–6128. [ Google Scholar ] [ CrossRef ]
  • Engels, H.; Knoche, K.F.; Roth, M. Direct dissociation of hydrogen iodide—An alternative to the General Atomic proposal. Int. J. Hydrogen Energy 1987 , 12 , 675–678. [ Google Scholar ] [ CrossRef ]
  • Roth, M.; Knoche, K.F. Thermochemical water splitting through direct HI-decomposition from H 2 O/HI/I 2 solutions. Int. J. Hydrogen Energy 1989 , 14 , 545–549. [ Google Scholar ] [ CrossRef ]
  • Leybros, J.; Carles, P.; Borgard, J.M. Countercurrent reactor design and flowsheet for iodine-sulfur thermochemical water splitting process. Int. J. Hydrogen Energy 2009 , 34 , 9060–9075. [ Google Scholar ] [ CrossRef ]
  • Goldstein, S.; Borgard, J.M.; Vitart, X. Upper bound and best estimate of the efficiency of the iodine sulphur cycle. Int. J. Hydrogen Energy 2005 , 30 , 619–626. [ Google Scholar ] [ CrossRef ]
  • Belaissaoui, B.; Thery, R.; Meyer, X.M.; Meyer, M.; Gerbaud, V.; Joulia, X. Vapour reactive distillation process for hydrogen production by HI decomposition from HI-I 2 -H 2 O solutions. Chem. Eng. Process. 2008 , 47 , 396–407. [ Google Scholar ] [ CrossRef ]
  • Murphy, J.E.; O’Connell, J.P. Process simulations of HI decomposition via reactive distillation in the sulfur-iodine cycle for hydrogen manufacture. Int. J. Hydrogen Energy 2012 , 37 , 4002–4011. [ Google Scholar ] [ CrossRef ]
  • Onuki, K.; Nakajima, H.; Shimizu, S. Concentration of HIX Solution by Electrodialysis. Kagaku Kogaku Ronbun. 1997 , 23 , 289–291. [ Google Scholar ] [ CrossRef ]
  • Onuki, K.; Hwane, G.J.; Shimizu, S. Electrodialysis of hydriodic acid in the presence of iodine. J. Membrane Sci. 2000 , 175 , 171–179. [ Google Scholar ] [ CrossRef ]
  • Onuki, K.; Hwang, G.J.; Arifal Shimizu, S. Electro-electrodialysis of hydriodic acid in the presence of iodine at elevated temperature. J. Membrane Sci. 2001 , 192 , 193–199. [ Google Scholar ] [ CrossRef ]
  • Arifal Hwang, G.J.; Onuki, K. Electro-electrodialysis of hydriodic acid using the cation exchange, membrane cross-linked by accelerated electron radiation. J. Membrane Sci. 2002 , 210 , 39–44. [ Google Scholar ] [ CrossRef ]
  • Hwang, G.J.; Onuki, K.; Nomura, M.; Kasahara, S.; Kim, J.W. Improvement of the thermochemical water-splitting IS (iodine–sulfur) process by electro-electrodialysis. J. Membrane Sci. 2003 , 220 , 129–136. [ Google Scholar ] [ CrossRef ]
  • Hong, S.; Kim, C.; Kim, J.; Lee, S.; Bae, K.; Hwang, G. HI concentration from HIx (HI-H 2 O-I 2 ) solution for the thermochemical water-splitting IS process by electro-electrodialysis. J. Ind. Eng. Chem. 2006 , 12 , 566–570. [ Google Scholar ]
  • Zhang, P.; Chen, S.Z.; Wang, L.J.; Yao, T.Y.; Xu, J.M. Study on a lab-scale hydrogen production by closed cycle thermo-chemical iodine–sulfur process. Int. J. Hydrogen Energy 2010 , 35 , 10166–10172. [ Google Scholar ] [ CrossRef ]
  • Chen, S.; Wang, R.; Zhang, P.; Wang, L.; Xu, J.; Ke, Y. HIx concentration by electro-electrodialysis using stacked cells for thermochemical water-splitting IS process. Int. J. Hydrogen Energy 2013 , 38 , 3146–3153. [ Google Scholar ] [ CrossRef ]
  • Chen, S.; Wang, R.; Zhang, P.; Wang, L.; Xu, J.; Ke, Y. Concentration of HI in Iodine–Sulfur cycle using EED stack. Nucl. Eng. Des. 2014 , 271 , 36–40. [ Google Scholar ] [ CrossRef ]
  • Kasahara, S.; Kubo, S.J.; Onuki, K.; Nomura, M. Thermal efficiency evaluation of HI synthesis/concentration procedures in the thermochemical water splitting IS process. Int. J. Hydrogen Energy 2004 , 29 , 579–587. [ Google Scholar ] [ CrossRef ]
  • Ling, B.; He, Y.; Wang, L.J.; Zhu, Y.Q.; Zhang, Y.W.; Wang, Z.H. Introduction and preliminary testing of a 5 m 3 /h hydrogen production facility by Iodine-Sulfur thermochemical process. Int. J. Hydrogen Energy 2022 , 47 , 25117–25129. [ Google Scholar ] [ CrossRef ]
  • Guo, H.; Zhang, P.; Chen, S.; Wang, L.; Xu, J. Review of simulation methods of the distillation column and thermodynamic models in the hi decomposition section of the iodine-sulfur process. Chem. Eng. Commun. 2014 , 201 , 751–789. [ Google Scholar ] [ CrossRef ]

Click here to enlarge figure

ParameterDesign Values
Reflux ratio0.5, 0.7, 0.9, 1, 1.2, 1.4, 1.6, 1.8, 2
Feed stage3, 4, 5, 6, 7
The statements, opinions and data contained in all publications are solely those of the individual author(s) and contributor(s) and not of MDPI and/or the editor(s). MDPI and/or the editor(s) disclaim responsibility for any injury to people or property resulting from any ideas, methods, instructions or products referred to in the content.

Share and Cite

Zhang, J.; Ling, B.; He, Y.; Zhu, Y.; Wang, Z. Experimental Study of the Characteristics of HI Distillation in the Thermochemical Iodine–Sulfur Cycle for Hydrogen Production. Processes 2024 , 12 , 1768. https://doi.org/10.3390/pr12081768

Zhang J, Ling B, He Y, Zhu Y, Wang Z. Experimental Study of the Characteristics of HI Distillation in the Thermochemical Iodine–Sulfur Cycle for Hydrogen Production. Processes . 2024; 12(8):1768. https://doi.org/10.3390/pr12081768

Zhang, Jinxu, Bo Ling, Yong He, Yanqun Zhu, and Zhihua Wang. 2024. "Experimental Study of the Characteristics of HI Distillation in the Thermochemical Iodine–Sulfur Cycle for Hydrogen Production" Processes 12, no. 8: 1768. https://doi.org/10.3390/pr12081768

Article Metrics

Article access statistics, further information, mdpi initiatives, follow mdpi.

MDPI

Subscribe to receive issue release notifications and newsletters from MDPI journals

IMAGES

  1. Distillation

    distillation of water experiment

  2. Simple and Fractional Distillation

    distillation of water experiment

  3. DISTILLATION OF WATER AND ETHANOL

    distillation of water experiment

  4. distillation of water working model science project for exhibition

    distillation of water experiment

  5. Fractional Distillation Labeled Diagram

    distillation of water experiment

  6. Distillation The Operation of a Water Still

    distillation of water experiment

COMMENTS

  1. Simple distillation

    Investigate the separation of water from a coloured solution using this simple distillation video, including a step-by-step method, animation and suggested alternative method Chapter titles: 00:10 Introduction to distillation; 01:07 Carrying out the experiment; 03:44 Animation; 04:10 Alternative method: Quickfit apparatus; 04:52 Testing the ...

  2. Distillation Experiment: Distilling Water at Home (Minimal Materials)

    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 asthis one created by erbst. This instructbable is intended to be as simple as possible.

  3. How to Make Distilled Water

    Rounded lid for the pot. Metal or glass bowl that floats inside the pot. Ice cubes. Fill the large pot partially full of the impure water. Float the collection bowl on the water. The goal is to drip water from the inverted lid into this bowl, so make sure the bowl is large enough to catch the drips. Place the pot lid upside down on the pot.

  4. Simple Distillation

    We just learned two separation techniques, so let's learn one more! Distillation separates compounds by virtue of their differing boiling points. If two liqu...

  5. Distillation of Water

    The rate of distillation is the amount of distilled water produced per hour.Constants are heat source, the amount of test liquids, the type and the size of distillation apparatus. (So all experiments must be performed with the same or identical distillation devices).

  6. Using Distillation to Purify Water (School experiment for kids)

    Adult supervision. Procedure. Start by adding some saltwater to your large bowl. Mix 2 tablespoons of salt per cup of water. There should be about 2 inches of saltwater in your bowl, or enough to allow the cup to float on top of it. Set your bowl in a sunny spot, either outside or near a window, where it can stay for several hours undisturbed.

  7. Distilling Water

    By itself, salt water is harmful to humans, but using a process known as distillation, salt water can become drinkable! In this experiment you will convert salt water into fresh water using distillation, which involves boiling a salt solution so that the water of the solution is turned into water vapor or water gas.

  8. Simple Distillation Experiment

    What is a Simple Distillation Experiment? Simple distillation separates components from their liquid mixtures based on their boiling point differences. In this method, the mixture to be separated is heated and then cooled using a water condenser. The condensed vapours are then collected from the outlet of the condenser tube. In this way, different components are collected at different boiling ...

  9. Reflux and distillation

    Distillation and reflux are techniques used in multiple experiments, but the similarity of set-up can lead to students confusing the two. Distillation is a separation technique that students first encounter in simple experiments such as the separation of brine into salt and water. It can also be used to remove a solvent from a reaction product ...

  10. Separation By Distillation

    Extra: Try to do this experiment again with household vinegar. Vinegar is a mixture of about 4-6% acetic acid and water. Can you separate these two liquids by distillation? How does your distillate taste in this case? Extra: You might know that the boiling temperature of pure water is 100ºC (212ºF) at normal atmospheric pressure. Adding a ...

  11. Distillation Of Water From an Aqueous Solution Using A Disposable

    A series of experiments that includes a control is called a "controlled experiment." Experiment 1: (For question 1) Introduction: This experiment is particularly appropriate for middle school science classes or for a general or first-year course where scientific glassware is unavailable. A simple distillation is performed using a soda can ...

  12. Distillation

    This video discusses how the process of distillation can be used to separate the components of a salt water solution.#mrpauller#ScienceExperiments

  13. Practical distillation

    Specified Practical Work: SP1B - Separation of liquids by distillation, eg ethanol from water, and by paper chromatography: Developing practical skills. ... A simple experiment looking at the three phases of water is a suitable activity, and can reinforce the difference between evaporation and boiling.

  14. EXPERIMENT 7

    EXPERIMENT 7 - Distillation - Separation of a Mixture. Purpose: a) To purify a compound by separating it from a non-volatile or less-volatile material. ... Fig. 3 - The apparatus used in simple distillation Fig. 4 - The apparatus used in fractional distillation. out in water water. out in water water. Not all mixtures of liquids obey Raoult ...

  15. Distillation salt water

    K12 White label Content : https://www.k12mojo.comFree educational content videos for K-12Watch our Educational contents - Distillation is a process of separ...

  16. Distillation of Water Science Fair Project

    1. Pour the muddy water into the distilling flask. 2. Use the stand to hold the flask in place, supported by the tripod stand. 3. Place the burner below this. 4. Connect the pout of the distilling flask to one end of the Liebig's condenser. 5.

  17. Separation by Distillation

    Pour an extra cup of colored fruit juice in the bottom of the pot. (Your small ceramic plate or ceramic coffee cup will now be standing in the juice.) Together with your adult helper, turn on the ...

  18. Fractional Distillation > Experiment 8 from Chemistry with ...

    The liquid water is then collected at the lower end of the condenser. The non-volatile salt remains in the flask. In this experiment, the initial mixture you distill contains two volatile liquids: ethanol and water. In this distillation, both of the liquids will evaporate from the boiling solution. Ethanol and water have normal boiling ...

  19. Distillation

    distillation, process involving the conversion of a liquid into vapour that is subsequently condensed back to liquid form. It is exemplified at its simplest when steam from a kettle becomes deposited as drops of distilled water on a cold surface. Distillation is used to separate liquids from nonvolatile solids, as in the separation of alcoholic ...

  20. Recovering water from copper(II) sulfate solution

    The apparatus required for evaporating and condensing water from copper (II) sulfate solution. Set up a Bunsen burner on the base of a stand placed on a heat resistant mat. Place a tripod and gauze above the burner. Clamp a flask and a test tube as shown in the diagram. Collect 20 cm 3 of copper sulfate solution and place it in the flask.

  21. Experimental Study of the Characteristics of HI Distillation in the

    Hydrogen energy, as a clean, renewable, and high-calorific energy carrier, has garnered significant attention globally. Among various hydrogen production methods, the thermochemical iodine-sulfur (I-S) cycle is considered the most promising due to its high efficiency and adaptability for large-scale industrial applications. This study focuses on the distillation characteristics of the HIx ...