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Activity

Solar Distiller

Curated and Reviewed by Lesson Planet
This Solar Distiller activity also includes:

Explore the sun's ability to distill contaminated water with this simple set of classroom experiments. After filling two glass bowls, one with muddy water and the other with salt water, they are covered with plastic wrap and placed in the sun as students observe how water is purified through the processes of evaporation and condensation.

15 Views 15 Downloads NGSS: Adaptable
Concepts
solar energy, energy, water quality, water, condensation, evaporation, the water cycle
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Additional Tags
distill, solar, water, evaporation, condensation, water cycle, distill water, water purification, hydrolgic cycle, science
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Instructional Ideas
  • Include this demonstration as part of a unit on the water cycle
  • Encourage students to use their prior knowledge of solar energy to devise ways of improving the distiller
Classroom Considerations
  • Depending on your local weather this demonstration may take more than the two hours mentioned in the procedure, so plan your lessons accordingly
Pros
  • A clear procedure is provided for carrying out the investigation
  • Questions are included for guiding a class discussion following the demonstration
Cons
  • None
NGSS
MS-ESS2-4