The Effect of Salt on the Boiling Point of Water

Aim: To determine the effect of salt on the boiling of water.

Safety issues:
Wear safety glasses throughout this experiment.
Ensure all glassware is securely clamped.
Identify other safety issues relevant to this experiment by reading the method.
Materials:
Thermometer (110oC)
Conical flask (250 mL)
Bunsen burner
Tripod and gauze mat
Clamps, bosshead and stand
Pure water
Salt water (~15%w/w)
experiment. Ensure the bulb remains in the

PRACTICAL ACTIVITIES

11.1

PRACTICAL
ACTIVITIES

solution as before. Record the temperature

each minute after the temperature reaches

Method:
90 C. Cease heating once salt crystals start
1.
Collect
equipment.
THE EFFECT OF SALT ON THE
form in the boiling liquid as the water
2. Set up apparatus as to
shown
in Figure.
BOILING POINT OF WATERa. Set up retortevaporates.
stand.
Results
Part A: First-hand investigation
b. Place Bunsen
burner on retort stand platform.
Record your observations in a suitable table.
c. Position tripod,
so Bunsen burner is underneath.
Aim
Questions
To determine the effect of salt on the boiling
d. Place gauze mat on top of tripod.
point of water
Answer the
following
in your report
e. Using bosshead,
clamp
thequestions
thermometer
into on
the conical flask as
this
experiment:
shown.
Safety issues
1. Explain
why calibration
the thermometer
f. Pour 150 mL
of distilled
waterofinto
conical flask.
Wear safety glasses throughout this experiment.
was necessary to validate the experimental
3. clamped.
Turn Bunsen burnerresults.
on, measuring the water temperature and recording the
Ensure all glassware is securely
Identify other safety issues relevant
to this
time
every 15 seconds
until boiling point of water occurs. Stop recording until
2. Describe the effect of dissolved salt on the
experiment by reading the method.
the data plateaus (orboiling
repeats
itself
more than three times).
point
of water.
Materials
4. Wait for the apparatus
to cool
down,
andofreplace
fresh water in conical flask
3. Explain
how the
reliability
this experiment
thermometer (110 C)
with salt water.
could be improved.
conical flask (250 mL)
5. Repeat step 3 forConclusion
salt water.
Bunsen burner
6. Record any observations
and the
tabulate
and
graph
results.
Briefly describe
outcome
of your
investigation.

tripod and gauze mat

clamps, bosshead and stand

pure water

salt water (~15%w/w)

4HERMOMETER

Method
1. The first step in this investigation is to
calibrate your thermometer to determine the
boiling temperature of pure water. Set up the
apparatus as shown in figure 11.14. Use about
120 mL of water.
2. Ensure the bulb of the thermometer is kept
just under the water surface as it boils but
not near the hot glass at the base. Record the
constant temperature of the boiling water.
If the thermometer does not read 100 C in
the boiling water, determine the adjustment
needed for future readings for salt water.
3. When cool, remove the flask and replace the
pure water with salt water and repeat the

WATER

#ONICALFLASK

'AUZEMAT
4RIPOD
"UNSENBURNER

Figure 11.14
Apparatus for measuring boiling point of a liquid

The Effect of Salt on the Boiling Point of Water Page 1

Questions
1. Identify other safety issues that are relevant to this experiment.
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2. Tabulate results in the space provided below.

3. Describe the effect of dissolved salt on the boiling point of water.

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The Effect of Salt on the Boiling Point of Water Page 2

4. Graph your results on the grid provided.

Axis
X
Y

Variable

What was that variable?

Independent
Dependent

5. Suggest how the reliability of the experiment could have been improved.
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The Effect of Salt on the Boiling Point of Water Page 3