Chemistry Required Practical: Water Purification

GCSE Chemistry Required Practical - Water Purification

Analysing and purifying a sample of water and making it safe to drink.

In this practical you will:

• analyse a water sample
• purify a water sample by distillation

Activity 1: Analysing a sample of water
Method

1. Use the universal indicator paper to measure the pH of the water sample.
2. Accurately weigh an empty evaporating basin and record to two decimal places.
3. Pour 10 cm³ of water sample into the evaporating basin.
4. Heat the evaporating basin on a tripod and gauze using a Bunsen burner until the solids start to form and the majority of water has evaporated.
5. Weigh the cooled evaporating basin again and calculate the mass of the solids that were dissolved in the water.
6. Record your results in a table.

Activity 2: Purifying a sample of water by distillation

1. Place the water sample in the conical flask. Set up the apparatus for distillation as shown in the diagram.
2. Heat the water using the Bunsen burner until it boils. Then reduce the heat so that the water boils gently.
3. The distilled water will collect in the cooled test tube. Collect about 1 cm depth of water in this way, then stop heating.
4. Analyse the water you have distilled by determining its boiling point.

Water Purification & Testing - GCSE Science Required Practical (Triple)

How to test water for sodium and chloride ions before and after distilling.
00:00 Flame test for metal ions
01:50 Precipitation tests for non-metal ions
03:15 Distilling water
05:09 Testing distillate

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GCSE Science Chemistry Required Practical: Water Purification

• Describe how to analyse a sample of water for purity.
• Describe how to purify a sample of water by distillation.

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