The Exeter Milligan Chemistry II class is mixing it up with the study of solutions. Solutions are a type of mixture that appears from the outside to be a single substance. We encounter many solutions on a daily basis, including the brass instruments in the band room, the gasoline in our cars, and the Kool-Aid in our cups. We are investigating why some things will mix, but others will not… I’m looking at you oil and water. We are also focusing on the measurement and calculation of concentration, the measure of how much solute is dissolved in the solvent.
As we finish up our study of solutions we will be proving some of these ideas in the lab. Using a known concentration of salt water, the students will change that concentration and then calculate how much of the solution would need to be boiled off to leave 1 gram of salt behind. Hopefully, our experimental results will prove our methods to be valid.
Solutions are commonly seen in the lab and in real life, so an understanding of how they form and function can be very useful. Why does a 2 liter pop need to be refrigerated? Why is Nesquik a powder? Why does it take so many licks to get to the center of a Tootsie Pop? Just ask your local EM Chemistry Students!