This definitions covers Key Definitions within Water Treatment for GCSE Chemistry. Revise Water Treatment in Using Resources for GCSE Chemistry with 20 exam-style questions and 15 flashcards. This topic appears less often, but it can still be a useful differentiator on mixed-topic papers. It is section 8 of 13 in this topic. Make sure you can use the exact wording confidently, because definition marks are often lost through vague language.
Topic position
Section 8 of 13
Practice
20 questions
Recall
15 flashcards
📖 Key Definitions
Potable water: Water that is safe to drink — it is not the same as pure water. Potable water can contain dissolved minerals and salts, but must be free from harmful microorganisms and have acceptable levels of dissolved substances.
Sterilisation: The process of killing or removing microorganisms from water, typically done by adding chlorine, using UV light, or using ozone treatment.
Distillation: A purification technique in which water is heated to produce steam, which is then condensed back to liquid. Distillation removes all dissolved substances but requires large amounts of energy.
Desalination: The process of removing salt and dissolved minerals from seawater or brackish water to produce potable water. Methods include distillation and reverse osmosis.
Sedimentation: A stage in water treatment where water is held in large tanks so that heavy particles settle out under gravity, forming a layer of sludge at the bottom.