Scheduled maintenance tonight at 9:00 PM (HKT). The site may be temporarily unavailable.
Resources

Extraction of Common Salt and Isolation of Pure Water from Sea Water

Use filtration, evaporation, crystallization, and distillation to obtain common salt and pure water from sea water

Click any step to watch that model directly.

Explore Sea-water Separation

This simulation focuses on sea water. Remove insoluble impurities first, recover common salt, and see how pure water can be collected by distillation.

Key Terms

Residue
The insoluble solid that remains on the filter paper.
Filtrate
The liquid that passes through the filter paper.
Filtration
A method used to separate an insoluble solid from a liquid.
Evaporation
A process in which solvent is removed by heating so the solution becomes more concentrated.
Crystallization
The formation of solid crystals from a saturated solution (either by cooling a hot saturated solution or slow evaporation of the solvent).
Distillation
A method used to separate and collect a liquid from a solution by boiling it and then condensing the vapor.
Solute
The substance dissolved in a solvent, for example common salt in sea water.
Solvent
The liquid that dissolves the solute, for example water.
Solution
A uniform mixture formed when a solute dissolves in a solvent.
Dilute
A solution containing a relatively small amount of solute.
Concentrated
A solution containing a relatively large amount of solute.
Saturated
A solution that contains the maximum amount of solute that can dissolve at that temperature.

HKDSE Tip

  • Physical separation:
    Filtration, evaporation, crystallization and distillation are physical methods. No new substances are formed.
  • Differences between methods:
    Filtration separates an insoluble solid from a liquid. Evaporation and crystallization are used to recover the soluble solid (solute) from a solution, while distillation is used to recover the pure liquid (solvent).
  • Why use a steam bath?
    It provides gentler and more even heating than a direct flame. This prevents bumping and spitting of the mixture, and avoids overheating/decomposing the salt crystals.
💡 Checkpoint
Page 1 of 4