Experiment No.

7
Properties and Purification of Water

ABSTRACT
The experiment identifies and explains some properties of water, namely: (a)
surface tension, wherein the molecules of water were found to have strong
intermolecular forces due to the water’s ability to form a spherical shape when the
beaker was filled to the brim; (b) viscosity, where lower temperatures translate to
increasing Van der Waals force which also leads to an increase in its resistance to
flow; (c) freezing point depression, which lowered the temperature of ice further
after adding sodium chloride (NaCl); (d) distillation, wherein the function of a
simple distillation set-up and its ability to purify water was determined; (e)
hardness of water, wherein the different amounts of water hardness was
determined using standard soap solution; and (f) purification of water by
flocculation which used different reagents (1% NaCl solution, 1% NaSO 4 solution,
and 1% AlSO4 solution) to clarify the muddy water.

I. Introduction

Water is made up of two elements: Hydrogen (H +) and Oxygen (O-). When the two hydrogen
atoms bond with the oxygen, they attach to the top of the oxygen molecule similar to Mickey Mouse
ears. This molecular structure gives the water molecule polarity. Because of this polarity, water
molecules are strongly attracted to one another, which gives water a high surface tension. The
molecules at the surface of the water ‘stick together’, strong enough to support very light objects. Its
high surface tension also allows water to clump in drops rather than spread out in a thin layer.

The viscosity of water measures its resistance to flow. It is related to the ease with which
molecules can move past each other. Viscosity increases with stronger Van der Waals forces and
decreases with higher temperature. The freezing point of pure water is 0℃, but that melting point
can be depressed by adding a solvent such as salt (NaCl). When salt is added, it is more difficult for
the molecules to bond but its freezing point varies depending on the salt’s point of saturation.
Distillation relies on evaporation to purify water. Inorganic compounds and non-volatile organic
molecules do not evaporate with the water and are left behind. The steam then cools and condenses
to form purified water.

Hardness of water is defined as the measure of capacity of water to precipitate soap i.e.,
the capacity of the water to form lather with soap. Hard water usually contains minerals such as
Ca2+, Mg2+, Fe3+, etc. and thus has a high mineral content. Coagulation and Flocculation occurs in
successive steps. Coagulant chemicals with charges opposite those of the suspended solids are
added to the water to neutralize the negative charges on non-settleable solids which causes small
suspended particles to stick together (microflocs). Flocculation is a gentle mixing stage which
increases the microfloc to visible suspended particles (macroflocs).

II. Methodology
A. Materials & Apparatus
 Burner Tweezers/Forceps
Beaker (50 mL) Test tubes with rack with calibrated test tube (12 pcs)
Wire gauze Ruler
Stirring rod Magnifying Lens
Beaker (400 mL) Condenser (for display on the counter)
2 breakers (250 mL) Test tube holder
Needle Distillation set-up: round bottom flask, delivery tube,
Thermometer pressure tube, beaker

20 g rock salt in reagent bottles:

Crushed ice Standard soap solution
Tap water 1% sodium chloride solution (NaCl)
Muddy water 1% sodium sulfate solution (NaSO4)
Boiled water 1% aluminum sulfate solution (Al2SO4)
Distilled water detergent solution
Impure colored solution glycerol

B. Procedures

1. Surface Tension
A 50-mL beaker was initially filled with water, almost to the brim. The water’s
ability to hold more water than it can contain (without spilling) was predicted, done, and
observed. A small needle was then placed on top of the beaker with water using
tweezers/forceps and observed with the use of a magnifying lens. In a separate step, the tip
of a toothpick was bathed with detergent solution and was then used to prick the surface of
the water, and was observed.

2. Viscosity
Two baths were prepared in separate 250-mL beakers: an ice bath containing
crushed ice with a small amount of water; and a boiling water bath (5 mL of water was
reserved for Part E; an estimated volume of boiling/ice water was used to immerse test tubes
up to its 5mL mark). Four test tubes were then prepared containing 5mL each of: (IA)
glycerol, (IB) glycerol, (IIA) distilled water, (IIB) distilled water wherein test tubes labeled
as A were immersed in the ice bath, while test tubes labeled as B were in the boiling water
for 3 to 4 minutes. Observations on each of the test tubes’ viscosity were recorded.

3. Freezing Point Depression

¾ of the 250mL beaker was filled with crushed ice and distilled water. A
thermometer was then immersed in the water-ice slurry and was stirred carefully using a
stirring rod. The thermometer was left inside the bath and its temperature was monitored
at 1-minute intervals for three minutes or until the reading remained constant and was
recorded. One tablespoon of rock salt was then added and stirred continuously. The
temperature was again recorded at 1-minute intervals for three minutes and made sure that
the thermometer remained immersed while the mixture was stirred.

4. Distillation
 A simple distillation set-up was examined while the mixture inside the distilling
apparatus was heated. A 400mL beaker was filled at about 1/3 to ½ full with tap water and
its temperature was recorded. An uncalibrated test tube was then placed into the 400mL
beaker with water wherein approximately 10mL of distilled water from the distilling
apparatus was collected; the temperature of water in the beaker was also recorded, and the
difference in color of the impure liquid and the distillate was also examined and compared.

5. Testing the Hardness of Water

3 test tubes were prepared wherein each test tube was added with 5mL of (1)
distilled water, (2) boiled water, and (3) tap water, respectively. Standard soap solution was
added drop by drop to the first test tube, was stoppered, and shook for 10 seconds after
each drop was added. The number of drops needed to obtain a thick layer of suds was
counted and recorded which served as the reference sample. The same procedure was
applied using boiled water and tap water separately, and its resulting mixture was observed
and recorded.

6. Purification of Water by Flocculation

Four test tubes in a test tube rack were set up and labelled accordingly. Each test
tube was then added with 5mL of muddy water, and 5mL reagents were added separately to
each test tube: (1) 5mL of distilled water (control); (2) 1% sodium chloride solution; (3) 1%
sodium sulfate solution; (4) 1% aluminum sulfate solution – which was stirred thoroughly
and left to stand undisturbed. The extent of separation of a precipitate and a clarification of
the upper portion of water was observed every 5, 10, and 15 minutes which was assessed
according to the following classifications:

NS No settling, still muddy

MS Mostly settled, still cloudy
BS Beginning to settle, still murky
SC Settled, clear
SS Some settling, cloudy

III. Results and Discussions

A. Surface Tension
The water did not spill when filled to the brim. Instead, it formed an arc shape
wherein its edges conformed to the edges of the beaker and its middle point was the highest
point of the arc. This is due to the water’s high surface tension where it is attracted and is
pulled to the center (towards each other) than towards the glass (Home Science Tools, 2018).

Its high surface tension is also the reason why the needle floated when placed on the
water – the water formed a skin-like protection that disabled the needle to penetrate the
water. However, when the detergent was pricked into the water using a toothpick, the polar
end of the detergent bonded with the polar end of the water molecule which reduced the
water’s surface tension. This reaction caused the needle to sink to the bottom of the water.
B. Viscosity
In a beaker filled with ice, the glycerol in a test tube that was placed in the beaker
became more viscous than its original viscosity while the water in the test tube had no
significant change in its viscosity.

In the hot water, the glycerol became significantly less viscous than its original state
while the water had no observable change in its viscosity.

This phenomenon (water having no visible change in viscosity) may be due to the
fact that water has a narrow viscosity spectrum which means that its change in viscosity
cannot be easily seen macroscopically. Both water and glycerol form strong intermolecular
(Van der Waals) forces that is directly proportional to viscosity and inversely proportional
to temperature but glycerol has a very visible change in viscosity due to the stronger extent
of hydrogen bonding per molecule of water (R Nave, n.d.).

C. Freezing Point Depression

When sodium chloride (NaCl – rock salt) was added to the crushed ice, the
temperature remained low longer than expected and the ice did not melt as easily as it did
before the rock salt was added. This phenomenon is called freezing point depression and
happens because the ions of salt (Na + & Cl-) diffuse throughout the water and block the
water molecules from getting close enough together to organize into its solid form (Gillespie,
2018). This only happens if there is a little bit of liquid water present in the mixture wherein
the temperature of the ice is not 0℃. Otherwise, the salt will have no effect on the
temperature of the ice (Helmenstine, 2019).

D. Distillation
The distillation apparatus has five major parts: (1) the pressure tube, which serves
as a vent, (2) the round bottom flask where the impure liquid is placed, (3) the delivery tube
where steam passes through, (4) the beaker filled with ¾ water which serves as a
condenser, and (5) the test tube in the beaker which serves as a receiver for the steam in
the delivery tube. The round bottom flask is attached to an adapter holding the pressure
tube, the delivery tube is also attached to the other end of the adapter and this delivery tube
is placed in the test tube which is in a beaker filled with water. The distillation process
purifies water by forcing components of different boiling points into gas phase (usually
water) and condensing them back into their liquid form (Kamrin, et al., 1990).

E. Testing the Hardness of Water

The soap solution serves as an identifier of the hardness of water. This is because
when soap solution is added to hard water, the hardness causing ions first react to form
precipitate of calcium and magnesium soaps which are insoluble in water (Jircitano, 2019).
This is also why distilled water only needed an experimentally identified 4 drops of the soap
solution, while tap water needed 27 drops of the soap solution in order to form suds.

F. Purification of Water by Flocculation

Reagent 5 mins 10 mins 15 mins

5 mL distilled water NS BS BS
1% NaCl solution MS MS MS
1% NaSO4 solution BS MS MS
1% Al2(SO4)3 solution SC SC SC
 The reagents are used as clarifying solutions for the impure liquid (muddy water).
Based on observations, the most effective coagulant is the 1% Al 2(SO4)3 solution. Its
effectiveness as a coagulant compared to the 1% NaCl solution and 1% NaSO4 solution may
be due to its positive charge which creates a chemical reaction that eliminates the negative
charges of the muddy water. This reaction bonds the particulates and neutralizes the
chemicals during coagulation (MRWA, n.d.).

IV. Conclusion

The six properties and methods of purification identified in this experiment helps us
understand the physical and chemical make-up of water that makes it the universal solvent.
From the experiment, the distillation set-up separates the water and the impure liquid by
evaporation and then condensation due to the different boiling points of the mixture. The
hardness of water was identified using a soap solution wherein calcium and magnesium
minerals formed a precipitate that was insoluble in water. These minerals were mostly
present in tap water, and minimal in the distilled water due to the process of evaporation
that separated the minerals from the water. The process of flocculation is also more
effective with the 1% Al 2(SO4)3 solution because it has a positive charge that effectively
neutralizes the muddy water. The high surface tension of water is credited to water’s polar
structure which makes it more attracted to itself and is also the reason why water formed
an arc shape when filled to the brim of the beaker. The viscosity of water is determined by
the forces (Van der Waals) acting upon it, in relation to the temperature applied to the
water. Finally, the freezing point of water was lowered with salt because salt blocks the
water molecules from getting close enough to organize into its solid form.

References

Gillespie, C. (2018, April 26). Freezing Point of Water Compared to a Salt Solution. Retrieved November 24,
2019, from https://sciencing.com/freezing-point-water-compared-salt-solution-16047.html.

Helmenstine, A. M. (2019, May 5). How Salt Melts Ice and Prevents Freezing. Retrieved November 24, 2019,
from https://www.thoughtco.com/how-salt-melts-ice-3976057.

Home Science Tools. (2018). Properties of Water. Retrieved November 24, 2019, from https://learning-
center.homesciencetools.com/article/properties-water-science-lesson/.

Jircitano, A. J. (2019). Determination of the Hardness of Water. Retrieved November 24, 2019, from
http://chemistry.bd.psu.edu/jircitano/Water05.pdf.

Kamrin, M., Hayden, N., Christian, B., Bennack, D., & D'Itri, F. (1990). Distillation for Home Water Treatment.
Retrieved November 24, 2019, from https://www.extension.purdue.edu/extmedia/WQ/WQ-
12.html.

MRWA. (n.d.). Coagulation and Flocculation. Retrieved November 24, 2019, from
https://www.mrwa.com/WaterWorksMnl/Chapter 12 Coagulation.pdf.

R Nave. (n.d.). Viscosity of Water. Retrieved November 24, 2019, from http://hyperphysics.phy-
astr.gsu.edu/hbase/Chemical/watervis.html.