Science Buddies: "Ask an Expert"

Hi - my daughter is doing the desalination project on this site using the kit you can purchase. We are using a heat lamp and have no problem getting condensation to collect on the plastic wrap, but it all drops back into the rectangular container, rather than getting into the funnel. We increased the slope of the plastic wrap as much as we could given the straw/funnel arrangement (can only increase the slope so much before the plastic wrap is touching the outside of the funnel preventing any water from getting into the funnel, and we can watch large drops of condensation start to run towards the funnel, but they get too heavy and drop into the saltwater before they get there. Thus, we are getting no collection at all, despite creating significant condensation.

Any help would be appreciated.

Hello,

A possible way to fix this might be the plastic wrap-- does it have any wrinkles? If so, this might affect the amount of condensation that is collected as it prevents the condensation from reaching the funnel.
If it does not have any wrinkles, possibly try lowering the funnel and straw down a bit and adding a bit more weight to the top of the wrap so that it creates more of an angle that will allow the water to drop into the funnel faster.

There is also a FAQ that covers some of the problems that other people had. If I didn't answer your question correctly, feel free to take a look over there too!
https://www.sciencebuddies.org/science- ... ation#help

If you have any more questions, please feel free to ask them! We are here to help.

Good luck!
-Regina