WATER :

ITS
PROPERTIES
and
PURIFICATION

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Theory
• Water is one of the most abundant compound on Earth. It is essential in all living organisms and necessary
to sustain life. Its chemical components that consists of 2 hyrdogen atoms and an oxygen atom covalently
bonded together. Its unique physical properties, it can exists in three state of matter.
• It is known to be a universal solvent due to its high polarity characteristics as a molecule. It exhibits different
physical properties like solubility which allows to dissolve ionic copound, other polar molecules but it will repel
nonpolar molecules, surface tension which make a strong electostatic interactions with itself and enables to
produce a “skin” on water, strong enough to hold very light objects.
• Another important properties is the hydrate formation of a compound/element in which a certain
compound/element absorbs water from the atmosphere at low temperature and high pressure.
• Since water is highly polar, almost all substances are in contact are dissolve on it and these substances are
contaminants and impurities. One of the form of impurities are the hardness in water and these are the amount
of calcium and magnesium salts in water. Hardness in water can be temporary and permanent hardness. These
water impurities can be removed by several process of purification like boiling, distillation, and different
procedure of treatment of water.
• Purification of water Is process by which undesired chemical compounds, organic and inorganic materials,
and biological contaminants are removed from water. One major purpose of water purification is to provide clean
drinking water. Water purification also meets the needs of medical, pharmacological, chemical, and industrial
applications for clean and potable water. The purification procedure reduces the concentration of contaminants
and impurities
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 A & C. Hydrates, Anhydrous,
Efflorescence & Deliquescence

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 Definition of terms:
• Hydrate = A compound containing water molecules:
example: Na 2SO 4 ● 10 H 2O (s)
• Anhydrous compound = a compound does not contain water molecules.
example: CaCl 2(s)
• Efflorescence = property of a crystal releases water when exposed to atmosphere
with low vapor pressure, it becomes anhydrous.
example: Na 2SO 4 ● 10 H 2O (s)
• Deliquescence = property of a crystal that absorbs water from the atmosphere
with high vapor pressure, it becomes hydrated.
example: CaCl 2(s)

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 A. Efflorescence
Glauber’s salt
Na 2SO 4 ● 10 H 2O (s)  Na 2SO 4(s) + 10 H 2O(g)

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 A. Deliquescence
1. A. exposing anhydrous calcium chloride to
the atmosphere.
CaCl 2(s) + H 2O (l)  CaCl 2● x H 2O (aq)

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Example
• SILICA GEL it is used as a desiccant to control local humidity
to avoid spoilage or degradation of some and
adsorbs moisture very well.
• Silica gel is a granular, vitreous, porous form of silicon dioxide
made synthetically from sodium silicate.

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 C. Blue Vitriol
Expose into atmosphere – nothing happened

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 C. Heated blue vitriol
CuSO 4 ● 5 H 2O (s) + heat  CuSO 4 (s) + 5 H 2O (g)
light/sky blue crystal white crystal

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 C. Anhydrous copper (II) sulfate
CuSO 4 (s) + 5 H 2O (l)  CuSO 4 ● 5 H 2O (s)
white crystal light/sky blue crystal

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Heating copper (II) sulfate
 B. Uses of water
1. Use as a solvent
to dissolve the solid (solute) substances
solute – is the one that dissolves
solvent – is the one that does the dissolving

2. Use for dilution

resulting for a less concentrated solution

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 B. Uses of water
Use as a solvent:

1. BaCl 2 (s) (white) and K2CrO4 (s) (egg yellow) :

nothing happens
2. BaCl 2 and K2CrO4 + water : dissolves in water
BaCl2(aq) and K2CrO4(aq)
BaCl2(aq) + K2CrO4(aq)  BaCrO4(s) + 2 KCl(aq)
egg yellow precipitate

Precipitate – a reaction between two solutions forming a solid

substance
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 B. Uses of water
Use for dilution:
3. concentrated nitric acid
(pure substance):
4 HNO3(l) +Cu(s)  Cu(NO3)2(aq) + 2 NO2(g) + 2 H2O(l)

Cu(NO3)2(aq) : blue green solution for

NO2 (g) : brown gas

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Cu(s) + concentrated nitric acid

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 B. Uses of water
3. Use for dilution:
from concentrated substance added with water to form diluted solution
concentrated nitric acid, HNO3 + H2O form
diluted nitric acid solution, HNO3(aq):

8 HNO3(aq) +3 Cu(s)  Cu(NO3)2(aq) + 2 NO(g) + 4 H2O(l)

Cu(NO3)2(aq) = blue solution

NO(g) = yellow gas

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 D. Hydrolysis
– a chemical process of decomposition involving the splitting of a bond and
the addition of the hydrogen cation and the hydroxide anion of water

Original: Water + ferric chloride:

yellow, clear liquid

continue heating: for 5 minutes

6 H2O + 2 FeCl3  2 Fe(OH) 3 + 6 HCl

Resulting of brown acidic solution.
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 E. Surface Tension
• the tension of the surface film of a liquid caused by the
attraction of the particles in the surface layer by the bulk of the
liquid, which tends to minimize surface area.
• The property of the surface of a liquid that allows it to resist an
external force, due to the cohesive nature of its molecules.
• The cohesive forces between molecules in a liquid are shared
with all neighboring molecules.

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Surface tension at a molecular level

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 E. Surface Tension
• Flour floats above the water….

• After adding the soap solution disturbance of the surface

tension of water …..

• Mixing of flour in water…..

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Another example of surface tension:

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 Examples of surface tension
• Walking on water: Small insects such as the water strider can walk on water because their weight is not enough to
penetrate the surface.
• Floating a needle: A carefully placed small needle can be made to float on the surface of water even though it is
several times as dense as water. If the surface is agitated to break up the surface tension, then needle will quickly sink.
• Don't touch the tent!: Common tent materials are somewhat rainproof in that the surface tension of water will bridge
the pores in the finely woven material. But if you touch the tent material with your finger, you break the surface
tension and the rain will drip through.
• Clinical test for jaundice: Normal urine has a surface tension of about 66 dynes/centimeter but if bile is present (a test
for jaundice), it drops to about 55. In the Hay test, powdered sulfur is sprinkled on the urine surface. It will float on
normal urine, but will sink if the surface tension is lowered by the bile.
• Surface tension disinfectants: Disinfectants are usually solutions of low surface tension. This allow them to spread out
on the cell walls of bacteria and disrupt them.
• Soaps and detergents: These help the cleaning of clothes by lowering the surface tension of the water so that it more
readily soaks into pores and soiled areas.
• Washing with cold water: The major reason for using hot water for washing is that its surface tension is lower and it is
a better wetting agent. But if the detergent lowers the surface tension, the heating may be unneccessary.
• Why bubbles are round: The surface tension of water provides the necessary wall tension for the formation of bubbles
with water. The tendency to minimize that wall tension pulls the bubbles into spherical shapes.
• Surface Tension and Droplets: Surface tension is responsible for the shape of liquid droplets. Although easily
deformed, droplets of water tend to be pulled into a spherical shape by the cohesive forces of the surface layer.

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 F. Diffusion
• Diffusion is the movement of a fluid from an area of
higher concentration to an area of lower concentration.
• the movement of particles down a concentration gradient.
• Diffusion is a result of the kinetic properties of particles of
matter.
• The particles will mix until they are evenly distributed.

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 F. Diffusion

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 G. Purification of Water
Turbidity –
• is the cloudiness or haziness of a fluid caused by large
numbers of individual particles that are generally invisible
to the naked eye, similar to smoke in air.

• is a measure of the amount of suspended sediment and

visible particles in a sample of water

• turbidity measures the cloudiness of the water.

• clear water has low turbidity (beaker on the left) and

water with high turbidity is more opaque (beaker on the
right).

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 G. Purification of Water
• Water holds tiny suspended particles that are very difficult for a filter to catch.

• Alum solution is used as coagulants or flocculants (forming large particles).

• Alum causes them to clump together so that they can settle out of the water or be
easily trapped by a filter.

• to make turbid water clear and particulate-free

• Used in water treatment

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 G. Purification of Water
1. Turbid water + alum solution (potassium aluminum sulfate) +
NH4OH (until basic)
Until solution is basic…. Red litmus turns to blue…
white precipitate……..
after filtration ….. Clear, colorless water
Comparing with original solution…. Turbidity was removed

2. Tap water (hard water) + soap solution: foam or suds

3. Tap water (hard water) + lime water , Ca(OH) 2 : white precipitate

produced
+ Na2CO3 : precipitate was removed

Compare 2 & 3 after adding soap solution:

more foam or suds produce in no. 3 than in no. 2

http://www.purewateroccasional.net/wtialum.html 27
 G. Purification of Water
1. Turbid water + alum solution (potassium aluminum sulfate) +
NH4OH (until basic)
Until solution is basic…. Red litmus turns to blue…
white precipitate……..
after filtration ….. Clear, colorless purified water
Comparing with original solution…. Turbidity was removed

Added with alum After filtration: clear,

Turbid water solution + NH4OH White precipitate http://www.purewateroccasional.

or flocculant colorless purified water net/wtialum.html 28

 H. Distillation
• is a process of purifying a substance; or a miscible liquid with
different boiling temperature; or soluble mixture.

Example:
Purify water: producing distilled water
Miscible liquid: alcohol and water
Soluble mixture: salt & and water
Distillation involves:
Evaporation and condensation.
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 Laboratory distillation set-up
Iron clamp
colored water Iron stand
(purple color)

adapter

Erlenmeyer
Iron ring flask

Wire gauze
Bunsen

Distilled water

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Improvised distillation

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I. Hardness in water
(containing impurities)
Hardness in water is due to the Ca(HCO3)2 CaCl2
present of mineral salts of CaCO3 CaSO4
carbonate, bicarbonates, chlorides Mg(HCO3)2 MgCl2
& sulfates of Ca 2+, Mg 2+,
MgCO3 MgSO4
Fe +3
Fe(HCO3)3 FeCl3
Fe2(CO3)3 Fe2(SO4)3

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I. 1, 2, 3, 4, 5

No. of drops
Type of water Standard soap Detergent Observation
solution solution
Distilled water Least least Least no. of drops

Tap water More (hardest) more More

Boiled water moderate moderate moderate

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 I. Boiling water
Heated tap water:

Ca(HCO 3) 2  CaCO 3 (s) + H 2O + CO 2

white precipitate

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 Types of Hardness of Water
• Temporary hardness

• Permanent hardness

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 Types of Hardness in water:
Temporary hardness = due to the Ca(HCO3)2
presence of bicarbonate , HCO 3 – 1 & CaCO3
carbonate, CO 3 – 2 of Mg(HCO3)2 white precipitates
Ca 2+, Mg 2+, Fe +3 like calcium MgCO3
carbonate, magnesium carbonate
and ferric carbonate can be removed Fe(HCO3)3 brown precipitate
by boiling or distillation. Fe2(CO3)3

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 Types of Hardness in water:

Permanent hardness = due to the CaCl2

presence of chlorides, Cl – 1 and CaSO4
sulfates, SO 4 – 2 of Ca 2+, MgCl2 white precipitate
Mg 2+, Fe +3 and can be removed by MgSO4
cation and anion exchange.
FeCl3 brown precipitate
Fe2(SO4)3
Soft water = treated water, absence
of minerals and removal of
permanent hardness

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Questions:
1. Give the 3 physical and 3 chemicals properties of water and discuss each
property and give example for each property.
2. Explain the surface tension and adhesion property of water.
3. Discuss how to purify water using distillation process.
4. Draw the laboratory distillation set up to purify water
5. One way to purify water is using reverse osmosis process, discuss its
operating procedure.
6. What are the factors that causes turbidity and discuss briefly each factors.
7. How is turbidity measured?
8. Differentiate the types of hardness in water.
9. How may hardness in water be removed?
10. What are the health effects of hardness in water?
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