Desalination

My first try at desalination involved the use of electricity and a stovetop. I tied a small glass to the inside of a lid and put it on a pot of salt water. I boiled the water three different times but each time the glass fell off the lid either while boiling or as I was trying to take it out.

On my next try, I opted for candles as a heat source instead of electricity. I bought a teapot and glass jar from Savers and a cord to attach the two. I put four candles beneath the teapot and the glass jar was placed in a small container of ice. I let the candles burn for three hours and the entire surface of the teapot was hot but no water was in the glass jar. I replaced the candles and let them burn for another three hours, but still no water. Maybe there was too much water to boil or evaporate. Maybe the teapot, hose, jar, or connections weren’t airtight. There are many possibilities as to why this system didn’t work.

I attempted desalination again with the same idea as my first try, but I replaced the small glass with a bowl about the size of the lid. I thought this would gather more of the condensation than the small cup and would be more likely to stay in place. It did stay in place, but it didn’t gather any water.