Potable water
I can explain what potable water is and describe how it can be obtained from groundwater and sea water.
Potable water
I can explain what potable water is and describe how it can be obtained from groundwater and sea water.
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Lesson details
Key learning points
- 'Potable' and 'pure' water are not the same material.
- Water used in analysis must not contain any dissolved ions.
- The method used to obtain potable water depends on the water source.
- Filtration and sterilisation are used to obtain potable water from groundwater and fresh water sources.
- Desalination of sea water creates potable water by distillation or reverse osmosis.
Keywords
Pure - A single element or compound that is not mixed with any other substance.
Potable - Water that is safe to drink.
Sterilisation - The process of killing bacteria and other living microorganisms.
Desalination - The process of removing dissolved salts from seawater.
Reverse osmosis - The movement of solvent through a semipermeable membrane by applying excess pressure on the solution. This process can remove dissolved solutes from water.
Common misconception
Pupils tend to think that all water is the same. Pupils tend to forget that non-visible substances are also found in water.
Stress that pure water only contains H₂O molecules. Other waters may include varying amounts of dissolved salts, other solids or micro-organisms. Stress that microbes must be killed for water to be potable, but are too difficult to remove.
To help you plan your year 10 chemistry lesson on: Potable water, download all teaching resources for free and adapt to suit your pupils' needs...
To help you plan your year 10 chemistry lesson on: Potable water, download all teaching resources for free and adapt to suit your pupils' needs.
The starter quiz will activate and check your pupils' prior knowledge, with versions available both with and without answers in PDF format.
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The assessment exit quiz will test your pupils' understanding of the key learning points.
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Explore more key stage 4 chemistry lessons from the Separating substances unit, dive into the full secondary chemistry curriculum, or learn more about lesson planning.
Licence
Lesson video
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Starter quiz
6 Questions
filtrate
funnel
filter paper
residue
Exit quiz
6 Questions
a grid acts like a sieve, removing large insoluble objects
small, insoluble particles 'settle out', forming a sediment
very small particles are removed by passing through fine layers
microbes are killed