What is in London's water

In this lesson students will answer questions about dissolved substances in water from London’s water supply and other sources using a problem solving/ inquiry approach. In answering these questions students will be using ideas about pure and impure substances as described in the national curriculum chemistry as well as considering wider implications, including financial.

Whilst much of this lesson may contain ideas fully described at GCSE in terms of the chemistry, the treatment here is within the bounds of the key stage 3 curriculum. You may choose to go more deeply into the chemistry with more able students.

Learning outcomes

• Students could compare the risks and benefits of hard water supplies and/or fluoridation of water. They should devise a method to discover

which water has dissolved solids in it. Students should be able to describe why water is described as hard or soft. They must describe how to recover a dissolved solid or gas from a solution.

This resource is part of a full set of lessons looking at pure substances and how polluted water can be cleaned and stored found here