How to Separate Salt and Water?

Children must have dissolved salt into the water, but wouldn’t have tried separating them. How to separate salt and water? To understand the concept behind this phenomenon, you can conduct science experiments for kids. This experiment will enable them to become familiar with the process of distillation or evaporation on how to separate the salt and water. It basically happens when you boil the solution consisting of salt and water and observe that the water evaporates into vapor, leaving the salt behind as a solid particle. 

Contents 

• What is the Distillation Process?
• Easy Science Project: How to Separate Salt and Water?
• Aim of the Project
• Materials Required
• Procedure
• Result
• Benefits of Learning about How Salt and Water is Separated?
• Frequently Asked Questions on How to Separate Salt and Water?

If you were ever given a chance to separate salt and water from the seawater, how would you separate them? The most common method that you would use is the distillation or evaporation process in order to separate both substances. The boiling point of water is much less than salt. To make children understand the concept, try to teach them what the distillation process is to them so that they learn how to separate the salt and water from the solution. This is one of the best DIY science project ideas for kids in elementary school. 

What is the Distillation Process?

It is the process of separating substances from the solution through boiling. The water from the solution evaporates while boiling, leaving the solvent behind. Distillation is an effective method of separating substances. The distillation process is used in various laboratories, industries, food processing industries, etc. There are different types of distillation processes such as simple, fractional, steam, vacuum, zone distillation, short path, and air-sensitive vacuum distillation. The distillation process enables one of the components to turn into a gaseous state due to the difference in the boiling point. There are numerous applications of using distillation processes such as purifying water, stabilizing oil, purifying fermented products, etc. The most common example of the distillation process is separating salt and water from the solution. Here, the water is a solvent, and the salt is a solute. If the solvent is heated and evaporated into vapors, the solid solute is left behind. 

Easy Science Project: How to Separate Salt and Water?

Have your children ever tried separating salt and water from the solution? If not, we’ve got you an experiment that can help children learn the process of separating salt and water in an interesting way. With the help of this experiment, kids will learn the process of distillation or evaporation through which the salt and water are separated. 

Aim of the Project 

To experiment how salt and water are separated from the given solution by evaporation under the guidance of parents and teachers. Observe the changes and record the result. 

Materials Required 

• Water 
• A tablespoon of salt
• A burner
• A paper and a pen
• A pan 

Procedure

• Take a pan and pour a cup of water into it.
• Add a tablespoon of salt into the water. 
• Heat the pan under a hot burner under the guidance of elders. 
• Boil the water for some time so that the salt and water gets completely dissolved. 
• Later, allow it to boil till all the water has evaporated completely. 
• Observe the changes and record your observations on a sheet of paper.

Result 

It was observed that the water started evaporating when it was allowed to boil. Later, you will notice that all the water content evaporated, completely leaving the salt behind. During this process, the liquid changes into a gaseous state. Therefore, the salt settled at the bottom of the pan can be harvested. 

Benefits of Learning about How Salt and Water is Separated?

Some of the benefits of learning about the separation of salt and water for children are mentioned below:

• Enables children to understand the concept of distillation and evaporation in separating salt and water from the solution.
• Develops understanding of the concept with the help of an experiment.
• Enables children to perform experiments on salt and water using the materials available at home. 
• Enhances the learning experience of children.
• Provides scientific knowledge on the concept of how salt and water gets separated. 
• Develops observational, analytical and organizational skills in children. 

To know more information, explore science games for kids, STEM activities for kids in the kids learning section at Osmo.

Frequently Asked Questions on How to Separate Salt and Water?