Distil an ethanol and water mixture in this KS3 virtual lab. Pupils assemble the apparatus, follow the vapour and measure the distillate they collect.

What is in the first drops that reach the receiving flask? Both ethanol and water are colourless, so appearance alone cannot tell pupils what they have collected. A colour-coded particle model lets them compare the starting mixture, the vapour and the distillate. They can see that the collected liquid still contains both substances, with a higher proportion of ethanol than the starting mixture.

What pupils do

• Measure 50 mL of the ethanol and water mixture into the flask and add boiling chips.
• Fit the thermometer and sloping condenser, connect the cooling water and switch on the virtual electric heater.
• Follow the vapour from the heated flask into the condenser. Watch drops form, then record the volume of distillate collected.
• Draw and label the apparatus on their worksheet or in their book. Explain why cooling water enters the lower end of the condenser and how distillation differs from evaporation.
• Check their understanding with a five-question quiz covering changes of state, the condenser and the composition of the distillate.

Where it fits in your scheme of work

Use the lab alongside the White Rose Science Year 7 Distillation lesson in the separation techniques unit. For Exploring Science, including Exploring Science International, and AQA Activate, it supports lessons on separating mixtures using differences in boiling point. It also gives pupils a practical context for revisiting evaporation and condensation.

Classroom use

Project the lab and pause when the first drop reaches the receiving flask. Ask pupils to trace two separate paths on their diagram: the route taken by the vapour and distillate, and the route taken by the cooling water. This gives you a quick way to check whether pupils understand what happens inside the condenser.