Summary
Explains the difference between mixtures and solutions — what dissolving actually means at the particle level — and shows how to tell whether two substances have truly dissolved or just mixed.
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All ages
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Teaching resources
Discussion questions
Discussion
- What is the difference between a mixture and a solution?
- When salt dissolves in water, where do the salt particles go?
- Is dissolving a physical or chemical change? How do you know?
- How could you get the salt back out of a salt-water solution?
Quick work-a-long
Vocabulary: mixture, solution, dissolve, solute, solvent, particle, separate.
Try it: Make two 'mystery samples': one of salt water (solution) and one of sand and water (mixture). Look, stir, and let both sit. What differences do you observe? How could you separate each one?