How to Observe Salt under a Microscope
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I’ve got a mission. I want to help families use their microscopes. Or get microscopes and use them. Who doesn’t want to make amazing observations with a microscope? We have a whole set of Homeschool Microscope Lessons for you to use with your high schoolers. How to Observe Salt under a Microscope will help your student build microscope skills.
Because we all want next level microscope skills.
The Purpose of Observing Salt under a Microscope
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Salt seems like a pretty generic thing to view under a microscope.
So, why bother?
Several reasons:
- Dissolve salt and create a supersaturated solution
- Evaporate the water and leave the salt crystals behind
- Prepare the salt crystals for the microscope
- Observe various salt crystals under the microscope
Salt is easy to prepare and easy to view.
It’s good practice and we can talk about a few other things along the way.
Materials Needed for Observing Salt
Now that my students are older, I prefer to use scientific glassware for our science endeavors.
It builds familiarity and it is good practice to separate kitchen supplies from science.
No eating in the lab.
Or from things used in the lab!
- 2 or 3 different kinds of salt- we used regular table salt, kosher salt, and pink Himalayan salt
- water- the amount is not super important as long as all the beakers have the same amount
- beakers or jars– one for each type of salt crystal you will be observing. At the high school level, I prefer to switch from kitchen tools to scientific tools to go with best laboratory practices.
- stirring rod or spoon– to stir and help to dissolve the salt in the water
- measuring spoon- to accurately and consistently measure out the salt for each beaker
- microscope– a light microscope or a digital microscope. For salt crystals it does not have to be super powerful
- microscope slides– used for holding specimens under a microscope (like a transparent viewing platform)
- tweezers– to manipulate the salt crystals from the beakers and onto the slide
How to Prepare for Your Observations
This is a simple lab activity, but following directions is always important.
You could just grab the salt from the container and throw it under your microscope.
However, since light microscopes require light to pass through the specimen in order for it to be seen well, it’s best to prepare the salt so will allow more light to pass through it.
- Gather your materials- so they are at hand as you proceed
- Put water in each beaker or jar- the same amount. For example, you could use the same size beaker and fill each half full (since the amount of water does not need to be exact, just make it the same).
- Measure the salt- 1 or 2 tbsp is fine
- Add the salt- to the jars (one type for one jar)
- Stir the solution- so as much as possible of the salt can dissolve
- Observe a supersaturated solution- not all of the salt will be able to dissolve
- Label each container- as you go with the type of salt in each
- Set aside- and let the water evaporate. This will take several days.
- Decant the water- after several days, feel free to pour off some extra water. You’ll lose some salt, but it doesn’t matter.
- Scrape the dry salt- from the bottom of the container using a pair of tweezers. Be careful not work too hard so that you don’t break the glass container.
- Place the salt crystals onto a microscope slide- make sure they are not on top of one another
- View the crystals under the microscope- on both low and high power
- Draw each sample- under both low and high power
Dissolving the salt in the water and then evaporating the water away changes the shape of the salt crystals, making them flatter and easier to see under a microscope.
If you tried to view them right out of the box, compare what you saw each time.
Make Observations Using a Microscope
Now it’s time to work with your microscope. Prepare the salt specimens for the microscope using the procedure below.
- Gather your materials- so they are at hand as you proceed
- Put water in each beaker or jar- the same amount. For example, you could use the same size beaker and fill each half full (since the amount of water does not need to be exact, just make it the same).
- Measure the salt- 1 or 2 tbsp is fine
- Add the salt- to the jars (one type for one jar)
- Stir the solution- so as much as possible of the salt can dissolve
- Observe a supersaturated solution- not all of the salt will be able to dissolve
- Label each container- as you go with the type of salt in each
- Set aside- and let the water evaporate. This will take several days.
- Decant the water- after several days, feel free to pour off some extra water. You’ll lose some salt, but it doesn’t matter.
- Scrape the dry salt- from the bottom of the container using a pair of tweezers. Be careful not work too hard so that you don’t break the glass container.
- Place the salt crystals onto a microscope slide- make sure they are not on top of one another
- View the crystals under the microscope- on both low and high power
- Draw each sample- under both low and high power
Dissolving the salt in the water and then evaporating the water away changes the shape of the salt crystals, making them flatter and easier to see under a microscope.
If you tried to view them right out of the box, compare what you saw each time.
More Microscope Lessons
- How to Make Amazing Observations with a Microscope– Is the page on the blog with lots of microscope content. It’s the place to bookmark for the future!
- The Beginner’s Guide to Using a Microscope– This post contains a video tutorial on how to view specimens under a microscope. It really is perfect for beginners!
- Observing Onion Cells under a Microscope– One of my most popular posts of all time, this is a lab activity on observing plant cells under a microscope.
- 3 Easy Steps to Observing Pond Life under a Microscope– A classic lab activity, this post tells you exactly how to find and see pond creatures under your microscope.
Free Microscope Observation Sheets for Subscribers
If you subscribe, you’ll receive this set of observation sheets for use with any microscope lab.
The first is a sheet for a single specimen under low and high power.
The second sheet offers space for four specimens at low and high power- perfect for comparing items such as salt crystals!
Being a subscriber means receiving regular support for your microscope science.
It’s my mission to help families use their microscopes!
Observing salt under a microscope is easy.
The materials are at hand.
It doesn’t take long to set up and get going.
You can use your microscope!
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