You obtain salt crystals from rock salt by dissolving the rock salt in water, separating the impurities, and then evaporating the water to allow pure salt crystals to form. This process is a simple yet effective method of purification.
The Process in Detail:
The process of obtaining salt crystals from rock salt involves several key steps:
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Dissolving the Rock Salt: Begin by crushing the rock salt into smaller pieces. Then, dissolve the crushed rock salt in water. The amount of water required will depend on the quantity of rock salt, but generally, you should add enough water to ensure the salt dissolves completely.
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Separating Impurities: Rock salt typically contains insoluble impurities like sand, clay, and other minerals. These impurities will not dissolve in water. You can separate them using filtration. Pour the salt water solution through a filter paper placed in a funnel. The filtrate collected will be a clear salt solution, free from solid impurities.
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Evaporation: The next step is to evaporate the water from the salt solution. You can do this by gently heating the solution. As the water evaporates, the concentration of salt in the solution increases.
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Crystallization: Once the solution reaches a saturation point, salt crystals will begin to form. Continue evaporating the water slowly to allow for the formation of larger, well-defined crystals.
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Collecting and Drying the Crystals: After all the water has evaporated, you will be left with salt crystals. Collect the crystals and spread them out on a clean surface to dry completely.
Summary:
In summary, obtaining salt crystals from rock salt involves dissolving, filtering, evaporating, and crystallizing. This process leverages the solubility difference between salt and its impurities to yield relatively pure salt crystals.
