Equipment:
* Beaker or pan: To hold the salt water mixture.
* Heat source: A stove, hot plate, or even the sun can provide heat.
* Watch glass or other flat dish: To collect the evaporated water.
Process:
1. Heat the mixture: Gently heat the salt water mixture. The water will start to evaporate, turning into water vapor.
2. Evaporation: Continue heating until all the water has evaporated. The salt will be left behind in the beaker.
3. Condensation (optional): If you want to collect the evaporated water, you can place a cold watch glass or other dish above the beaker. The water vapor will cool and condense on the underside of the dish, forming liquid water.
Why this works:
* Salt has a much higher boiling point than water. This means that water will evaporate at a lower temperature than salt will.
* Evaporation separates the components of the mixture because water changes from a liquid to a gas, leaving the salt behind.
