Extracting water from lunar soil - Learning about filtration and distillation | Teach with space C10

In this resource, students will learn about changes of state of matter using water on the Moon as an example. They will interpret data from a pressure vs. temperature graph for water to enable a discussion about how changes of state are different on the Moon compared to what we are used to on Earth. They will then compare two methods for separating mixtures, in the context of extracting water from lunar soil.  They will be given pre-prepared lunar soil analogue blocks and compare simple distillation to filtration and decide which is most efficient on Earth and on the Moon.

Download: Teacher’s guide and student worksheets, Danish, Portuguese, Spanish, French, Portuguese, 
Age range: 12-16 years old
Keywords: Chemistry and Physics 

This classroom resource is part of a set of resources developed by ESA’s Education Office in collaboration with ESEROs to support the Moon Camp project.

This Airbus Foundation Discovery Space animation explains how to get water on the Moon and make it last using a recycling system. More animations here.