Sugar and Salt Solutions

While salt and sugar may seem quite similar at a macroscopic level, they are very different compounds that have distinct behaviors when they are dissolved in water. As is often the case, it is a lot easier to explain these concepts when you have a visual aid at hand.

Sugar and Salt Solutions is a Java-based program that allows you to simulate how salt and sugar behave when they are dissolved in water, and how they change the solution’s properties. It is suitable for younger students learning the basics of chemistry.

The first experiment asks users to add salt or sugar to a water solution. While the water is initially non-conductive, this changes as more salt is added to the mix. Sugar, however, has no effect on the solution’s conductivity. As the water evaporates, you will see that conductivity continues to increase.

As salt is made up of sodium and chloride ions, it makes the water more conductive because the ions can carry an electric charge. Since sugar doesn’t contain any ions, it has no effect on conductivity.

The second experiment shows you how various solutes behave when added to water, at a microscopic level. Salt and sugar can be added, as well as a bunch of other compounds.

Just like in the first simulation, you can add more water to the mix to reduce the concentration or let evaporation increase it.

While not the most complex simulation out there, Sugar and Salt Solutions can prove to be very helpful for teachers who want to explain a few basic concepts in chemistry. The experiments are very straightforward, and the visual representations make it easy to understand what is happening.