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.
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.
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.
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.
Licence
This content is © Oak National Academy Limited (2024), licensed on Open Government Licence version 3.0 except where otherwise stated. See Oak's terms & conditions (Collection 2).
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