Solutions

Solutions

Focus question: What is the difference between a solution and a suspension? How can we separate the unknowns from the water mixture?

Hypothesis/ Prediction: What will happen if we add a lot of water to our unknowns?  Will we be able to see the parts? If the water mixture is dissolved, we think we will be able to see the parts in some of our unknowns.

Planning:

You mix a small amount of unknown with water. Then you use a coffee filter to strain it to see if you can see any unknown left after it dries. First, you mix the unknown with water. Then you use the coffee filter to strain the unknown over a container. Observe to see if there is anything left after being strained or if it was completely dissolved.

Materials:
- Coffee filter
- petri containers
- unknowns
- water
- toothpick/stirrers
- dot stickers
- tray

Data:

Red before	solution, like sugar water, some settled on bottom, suspension
Yellow before	did not dissolve, cloudy, suspension
Blue before	sitting on bottom suspended did not dissolve, suspension
Green before	looks like pepto, milk, dissolved, left in filter, solution
Orange before	solution looks like milk, left in filter

Red after	it came out clear and filtered the unknown
Yellow after	it was a little cloudy, some unknown dissolved
Blue after	it came out mixed, some unknown did not mix but would not filter
Green after	it came out mixed, some did not filter
Orange after	it came out cloudy, some unknown dissolved

Claims/Evidence:

In the pictures below you can see what the filter looked like when we put the solutions through it. LIkewise, you can see what came out of the filters in the dish.

Conclusion/Reflection:

Not all of the unknown will filter if it is partly dissolved. If the solution dissolved, we can not determine the unknown from the solution.  If the unknown settles on the bottom, it is likely to filter the majority of the unknown. If the solution dissolves, will it filter any at all? Can you see any of the parts? Will the mixture be a suspension or a solution if it has more of the unknown and less water?