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Year 5 - Science

Removing salt from seawater (non-statutory)

Properties, changes and separating materials

Unit Summary

This unit explores the properties of everyday materials, including hardness, solubility, and conductivity. It covers reversible changes like dissolving and mixing, and irreversible changes such as burning. Emphasis is on scientific enquiries, data recording, and presenting findings with evidence.

Lesson Summary

You will learn to investigate ways of making seawater safe to drink.

Key Notes

  • The water in our seas and oceans contains salt. This water is not safe for drinking.
  • Evaporation can be used to remove the water from a salt solution.
  • Condensation is when a water in the gas state (water vapour) is cooled so that it changes to water in the liquid state.
  • Scientists and engineers investigate ways of making seawater safe to drink using evaporation and condensation.
  • Microorganisms must also be removed from water to make it safe to drink.

Vocabulary To Learn

  • seawater: Seawater is water from a sea or ocean.
  • solution: Some solids dissolve in liquids to form a solution.
  • evaporation: Evaporation is the change of state from a liquid to a gas.
  • condensation: Condensation is the change of state from a gas to a liquid.
  • desalination: Desalination is the process of removing salt from seawater.

Common Mistakes To Avoid

  • Saltwater is safe to drink.

3 Quick Questions (With Answers)

1. Explain the scientific idea in this lesson using two key points.

The water in our seas and oceans contains salt. This water is not safe for drinking. Evaporation can be used to remove the water from a salt solution.

2. Define this scientific word and use it in context. 'seawater'

Seawater is water from a sea or ocean. Include the word in a full scientific explanation, not as a single label.

3. Correct this common scientific misunderstanding.

Mistake: Saltwater is safe to drink. Correction: Teaching slides will explain that drinking saltwater can make us ill and will explain the process of desalination.

More Lessons In This Unit

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