In your lab, you are conducting research to discover unknown truths, or to support hypotheses and so, you want to make sure that all of the equipment and materials you use are in complete order before you start filling up those test tubes.
This leads nicely to one of the most fundamental parts of any science experiment; the water that will be used. It may not seem important at first glance, but when it boils down to it (good joke there!), you will want to use the cleanest and purest water possible, especially if you are using sensitive equipment. This will ensure that the results that you get are accurate and that you and your staff or students are kept safe. Thus, it is best to invest in water such as distilled water for any experiments being conducted in a lab.
Curious to learn more? In this article, the most commonly searched questions relating to distilled water are answered, so you can decide if it is the best option for your lab.
Is Distilled Water Better For Experiments?
Yes. When youĀ buy distilled water, you are buying water that has been through a vigorous process to remove contaminants, viruses, and heavy metal traces that may be in other waters due to runoff. Even mineral water that has been filtered still has contaminants within it, and only distilled water is 100% H2O! So, in the long term, it is better for your experiments and will create more accurate results, with less extra work in the analysis to work out what are true results and what is the result of the water used.
Can I Make It in My Laboratory?
You can, but you would need to invest in a lot of equipment!
The process of creating distilled water sounds simple but requires quite a lot of room and training to ensure that the result is completely pure. As mentioned earlier, the process removes contaminants and pollutants, which means that the water itself has to be heated beyond boiling point, to ensure that even the most heat-resistant parasites are removed.
For that reason alone, it is usually better to purchase distilled water, just to ensure that it is as clean as it can be!
How Is It Different from Filtered Water?
As hinted at earlier, it is to do with contaminants that are found in many natural water sources. Distillation removes these more successfully than filtration, and more importantly, there are no filters that require changing and could potentially let contaminants and pollutants through. So, although filtered water seems cleaner than tap, it is not suitable for lab use.
DistillationĀ involves boiling the water, waiting for the steam to form condensation, allowing it to cool, and then bottling it. All contaminants are removed successfully with a simple method!
How Does It Differ from Deionized Water?
Deionized water is another type that is used in labs, usually alongside distilled water. But it has all of the dissolved mineral particles removed, whereas distilled water has not. It has also had (as its name suggests) all of the ions removed.
It can be used in a lab, but many researchers prefer distilled water, as the process of creating it results in water that has a purer quality.
