Learners explore which solvents will effectively remove nail polish

This acitivity and question sheet helps learners revise the terms solvent, solute and solution, and to appreciate that not everything will dissolve in water.

Notes on the activity

  • This activity is straightforward. It will take around 15 minutes (including time for students to fill in the table) once the nail varnish is dry.
  • The nail varnish will take a while to dry so ask students to paint it on a white tile early on in the lesson. If behaviour is a problem, you might wish to consider using a fast drying nail varnish. Students can copy the table ready for completion and answer the introductory questions while the nail varnish dries.
  • Hydrochloric acid is included in the table because students often think acids will dissolve anything.
  • The practical activity itself does not take very long – its purpose is to provide an opportunity for discussing why things dissolve and the limits of the evidence available.
  • The extension sheet entitled Dissolving asks students to explain why some substances dissolve and others do not. This exercise is aimed at students who are ready for more challenge.

Equipment required

  • Nail varnish – a dark colour will work best (try not to use old, dried up nail varnish and have several bottles available to reduce waiting times)
  • White tile – if these are in short supply, glass beakers also work well but do not use anything made of plastic
  • Ethanol (Highly flammable) – ensure all solvent bottles have the correct hazard labels on them.See CLEAPSS Hazcard HC040a
  • Propanone (acetone) (Highly flammable and irritant). See CLEAPSS Hazcard HC085a
  • Ethyl ethanoate (Highly flammable and irritant). See CLEAPSS Hazcard HC043a
  • Hydrochloric acid 1 mol dm–3 (or less concentrated) (Irritant). See CLEAPSS Hazcard HC047a
  • Cotton wool pads – you can cut them into quarters to make them last
  • Access to water
  • Tongs
  • Eye protection.

You may like to provide students with bottles of commercial nail varnish remover for comparison, especially if you can find one with the solvents it contains listed on the packaging.

What to do

  • Paint five nail-sized areas of the white tile with a thin layer of nail varnish.
  • Keep them about 3 cm away from each other.
  • While the nail varnish dries, copy the chart below and fill in the prediction column.
 Will it remove the nail varnish?Does it remove the varnish in one go? Does it remove the varnish eventually?Put the substances you have tested in order from 1 (best) to 5 (worst).What problems might there be with this remover? (Hint: check the hazards) 
Ethanol – Highly flammable          
Propanone – highly flammable and irritant          
Ethyl ethanoate (Highly flammable and irritant)          
Water          
Hydrochloric acid (Irritant)          

 Questions

  1. In this experiment, what is the: solvent? Solute? Solution?

Wear eye protection. Once the nail varnish is dry try the various substances listed in the table to see which is the best nail varnish remover. Hold some cotton wool in tongs, put a little of one of the test solvents on it and rub one of your nail varnish samples gently. Repeat with the other substances and fill in the table as you go.

  1. Is this a fair test? Can you say with certainty which is the best solvent for nail varnish?
  2. How could you change this experiment to make the evidence more reliable?
  3. Can you tell from this experiment which solvent would make the best nail varnish remover?
  4. What other information might you need in order to decide?
  5. How could you obtain this information?
  6. You can buy special nail varnish for young children that will dissolve in water. Why might this be preferable for young children?
  7. Why does nail varnish not dissolve in water? Discuss in groups and prepare an answer to share with the class.

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Additional information

This resource is a part of ourInspirational chemistry collection.

Inspirational chemistry book