Let's get mixing in our KS2 Science adventures! We'll do experiments with solvents, solutes, and suspensions, trying to see which things mix together and which ones don't.
Mixtures happen when we combine things, like solids, liquids, or gases. Have you seen sugar disappear in water? That's because sugar (solute) dissolves in water (solvent), making a yummy solution! But not everything dissolves; sand stays grainy, making a suspension. The bits will settle at the bottom.
What's a solvent, solute, and solution? Test your mixing skills with this awesome KS2 Science quiz. How much do you remember?
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You can find more about this topic by visiting BBC Bitesize - What is dissolving?
The name should have given it away! Combination means joined together or mixed
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Water will dissolve sugar but will not dissolve sand
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A very fine sieve would separate the coarsest sand from the salt, but it would also allow fine sand to pass through its holes
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Solids can be dissolved in liquids, creating a solution - a solution is not a new substance, however; it is a mixture of two or more materials or substances
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The water can evaporate but salt cannot so it will be left behind
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Stirring, using smaller particles (by crushing, if necessary), and heating the liquid all help materials to dissolve more quickly
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A good example of a suspension is a jar of muddy water - if you look closely, you can see particles suspended (floating) in the water
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When salt is dissolved into water, the salt is a solute, the water is the solvent and the mixture is called a solution
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Although a candle would melt in very hot water, wax will not dissolve in water - remember that melting and dissolving are not the same process
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A solution in which no more material can be dissolved is called 'saturated'
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