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Experiment No. 5
Water: Its Properties and
Purification
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Experiment No. 5: Water: Its Properties and Purification

OBJECTIVES

1. To know the different properties of water and their importance

2. To know the different ways to purify water
3. To make fresh water from saltwater using distillation
4. To understand and explain the process of distillation
5. To know the different principles used in distillation

THEORY and APPLICATIONS

Water for living has been the one of most concern in the 21st century after population growth and
the most abundant compound on Earth surface. On the earth’s surface, only three percent of the available
freshwater which is found in lakes, rivers, reservoirs, glaciers and underground sources (Bahar &
Hawlader, 2013). Fresh water provides good quality for human to drink or consumption for an everyday
need, long-term supply of drinking water (Weerasinghe, et al., 2006).

The properties of water in polarity it a simple molecular structure. It is composed of one oxygen
atom and two hydrogen atoms. It has an boiling point (100°C) and freezing point (0°C). Water is less
dense as a solid than as a liquid, it has cohesive and adhesive properties and water is the universal solvent
(Wilkin & Brainard, 2013).

Water purification is a process which the undesired chemical compounds, organic and inorganic
materials, and biological contaminants are removed from water. One of the major purpose of water
purification is to provide clean drinking water. Water purification is important because is also needs for
medical, pharmacological, chemical, and industrial applications of clean and potable water. The
purification procedure which reduces the contaminants such as suspended particles,
parasites, bacteria, algae, viruses, and fungi on the concentration (Ambulkar, et al., 2018).

There is a lot of many ways or process to purify water which are popular to use boiling,
chlorination, reverse osmosis, distillation and filtration. In this case of experiment, we will use
distillation.
 Distillation is the most widely used method of achieving separation and this is the key operation
in removing contaminants on water (Ujile, 2014). The principle of distillation is heated into boiling
container that relies on evaporation to purify the water. As the water evaporates, large non-volatile
organic chemicals or microorganism are left behind to the boiling container. The steam flows to
condensing coil which the steam is cooled by water and condensed to liquid which is now the water is
already purified that goes to the another container (The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica, 2020).

The application of water purification in Engineering field is that the Engineering technologies are
now progressed to the point where the wastewater can be converted into fresh water that is suitable for
discharge back into the environment. The technology civil engineers have developed has progressively
gotten more efficient, and the process of converting wastewater into fresh water (Norwich University,
2017).

The application of water purification it helps our skin to remain heathier and glowing like in our
interior and exterior organ to clean and skin complexion and elasticity. Allows for better exercises, helps
to lose weight and provides energy (AZ BIG MEDIA, 2019)

MATERIALS & EQUIPMENT

Part I: A Part I: B Part I: C Part I: D

Paper towel Salt (1 g) Detergent soap Cotton
Scissors Sugar (1 g) Water Water
Tape Tap water (10 mL) Two 5-peso Coins Ethanol
Pencil Ethanol (10 mL) Droppers (2) Electric Fan
Cup (1) Glasses (2) Cups (2) Stopwatch
Water Kitchen weighing scale

Part II
Basin Liebig condenser Tablespoon
Beaker (250 mL) Rubber stopper Tap water
Bunsen burner or electric burner Rubber tubing Thermometer
Clamps (2) Sand Tripod
Distilling flask Stand Salt (copper sulfate)
 Iron stand (2) Table salt

PROCEDURE

Part I: PROPERTIES OF WATER (to be performed at home)

A. Capillary Action, Adhesion and Cohesion

1. Each group should prepare a 2 cm by 15 cm size of paper towel.
2. Attach the strip of paper towel to a pencil using a tape.
3. Fill a cup with water.
4. Place the pencil with the paper towel across the opening of the beaker so that the end of the paper
towel strip will just touch the water surface. Wait for 5 minutes, observe and record results.
B. Polarity
1. Fill one glass with 5 ml of tap water and a second glass with 5 ml ethyl alcohol (ethanol).
2. Weigh 0.5 g of salt, add it into the glass with water, then swirl. Record the results.
3. Weigh 0.5 g of salt, add it into the glass with ethanol, then swirl. Record the results.
4. Repeat steps 1, 2 and 3 using 0.5 g of sugar instead of salt. Record the results.
C. Surface Tension
1. Prepare two 5-peso coins and two cups of water.
2. Add detergent soap into the second cup and mix.
3. Count how many drops of water can fit in the coin. Repeat 3 times.
4. Repeat step 3 using the soapy water instead of water.
5. Record the data and your observations.
D. High Heat of Vaporization
1. Rub cotton with water on your forearm.
2. Face the wet forearm in front of an electric fan, and measure how long will it take for the water to
completely evaporate.
3. Repeat steps 1 and 2 using alcohol instead of water.
4. Record the data and your observations.
Part II: WATER PURIFICATION BY DISTILLATION (watch video of lab experiment)
1. Gather all the materials needed. Put on safety equipment.
2. Set up the distillation apparatus as shown in Figure 2.
3. Fill the beaker with tap water. Add one tablespoon of salt (copper sulfate) and mix well. Pour the
saltwater into the distilling flask.
4. Place sand in the basin. Before you start heating, place the distilling flask into the sand.
5. Carefully place the burner under the flask.
6. Connect the distilling flask to one end of the Liebig's condenser.
 7. Place the condenser so that it slopes downward and that the other end is directly above the beaker.
8. Bring the salt solution to a boil. Keep an eye on the thermometer.
9. Collect the water vapor that is now turning into liquid water.

DIAGRAM

Part I: Properties of Water (draw or attach actual photo/s with proper labels)

Figure 1. Experiment Setup for Determining Properties of Water

Part II: Water Purification by Distillation

1: Heat source 9: Vacuum/gas inlet

2: Still pot 10: Still receiver
3: Still head 11: Heat control
4: Thermometer/Boiling 12: Stirrer speed control
point temperature 13: Stirrer/heat plate
5: Condenser 14: Heating (Oil/sand) bath
6: Cooling water in 15: Stirrer bar/
7: Cooling water out anti-bumping granules
8: Distillate/receiving flask 16: Cooling bath.
 Figure 2. Distillation Experiment Setup

DATA AND RESULTS

(Present your data in an orderly manner with correct units and descriptions)

OBSERVATION AND DISCUSSION OF RESULTS

(Write down all the important details, principles, and other information regarding the experiments you
conducted and the video you watched. Note any errors in the conduct of the experiment if there are, and
explain their effect/s on the results.)

Post-lab Questions:

Part I: PROPERTIES OF WATER

A. Capillary Action, Adhesion and Cohesion
a. What happened to the paper?
b. How could this be applicable to living things?

B. Polarity
Water Ethanol
Salt Sugar Salt Sugar

In what liquids do the salt and sugar dissolve? Explain.

C. Surface Tension

Trial Water Droplets Soapy Water Droplets

1
2
3
Average

Which coin held more droplets? Explain.

D. High Heat of Vaporization

Drying time: Water
Drying time: Alcohol
Which liquid dries faster? Explain.

Part II: WATER PURIFICATION BY DISTILLATION

1. Was fresh water produced from salt water in the experiment? Do you think it is safe for drinking?
Why or why not?

2. What do you think happened to the salt after the distillation process? Do you think the water
produced would have a distinct taste or odor?
CONCLUSION AND RECOMMENDATION
(Your conclusion should be connected to the objectives. What recommendations can you suggest to help
improve the conduct of the experiment and the gathering of data)?
REFERENCES