How to Make a Distiller

A commercial distiller is a highly complicated apparatus. But you and your child can make this simple solar water distiller with a few common objects that you probably have at home. Through this project, you can demonstrate nature's ability to filter water using nothing but the sun and the simple process of evaporation. It's also a functional technique that you can use if you happen to run out of drinking water while you are camping.

Things You'll Need

• Disposable 8-inch round aluminum pan, 3 inches deep
• Tap water
• 1/2 cup of garden or potting soil
• Spoon
• Clear plastic wrap
• Rubber band large enough to fit around the aluminum pan
• Small glass bowl
• Four quarters

Instructions

1. Pour water into the aluminum pan to a depth of about half an inch.

2. Add the soil to the water and stir it with a spoon. This will make the water dirty so that you'll be able to see your distiller's capabilities.

3. Set a small glass bowl in the middle of the aluminum pan. If it floats, remove a little bit of water from the pan.

4. Wrap a large rubber band around the sides of the aluminum pan and secure the plastic wrap into place. Keep the wrap a little loose across the top of the pan.

5. Stack four quarters evenly. Set the stack on top and in the center of the plastic wrap, directly above the middle of the small glass bowl. The plastic wrap should now slope downward from the sides of the pan toward the stack of quarters in the center, but should not be touching the glass bowl.

6. Take your solar water distiller outside and set it in bright direct sunlight. Water will soon begin to evaporate and accumulate on the inside of the plastic wrap. As the water collects, it will trickle downward on the wrap to the low point created by the stack of coins, and will drip into the glass bowl. Leave the distiller in the sun for several hours.

7. Remove the plastic wrap from the water distiller and take the glass bowl of water out. Notice how clean the water in the bowl is. Even though the water being filtered was very dirty to begin with, none of the dirt evaporated with the water, which is completely clear and drinkable now.

Tips & Warnings

• Make sure that the water you use for this experiment does not contain any toxins, most of which cannot be removed from water by evaporation.