What are the dissolved solids in seawater?

An overhead drone photograph of a neutral grey sandy beach and waves from the sea

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Analyse the salts that crystallise from evaporating seawater, illustrating cation and anion tests in this demonstration. Includes kit list and safety instructions.

In this experiment, students observe as seawater is gradually evaporated, leading to different salts crystallising out at different stages. These salts are then analysed by testing for cations and anions, using flame tests to identify the cations and other methods for identifying the anions.

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