Add about 2 inches of water to the pot. Add salt to the water until the water tastes salty (A).
Add several drops of food coloring to the water.
Place a plastic bowl in the pot. The bowl should float on the water (B).
Put the transparent lid on the pot upside down (C).
Heat the pot until steam condenses on the lid. Water that condenses on the lid should drip down into the plastic bowl. Do not let the water boil. If the water boils, turn off the heat and check the plastic bowl to make sure that water from the pot has not splashed into it.
Turn the heat on and off intermittently to allow steam to condense on the lid and collect in the plastic bowl for a period of about two hours. The heat will be turned off for much of this time but the water will still be hot. Again, do not let the water boil. Never leave the stove or hot plate unattended if the burner is on.
Carefully remove the lid from the pot, and take out the plastic bowl. Use oven mitts as necessary. Be careful not to touch the hot surfaces or the hot water. Allow the water in the plastic bowl to cool (D).
Part A
Compare the appearance of the water in the pot with that of the water in the plastic bowl. What do you notice? Next, taste the water in the plastic bowl. Compare the taste with the sample of water you tasted earlier from the pot. Does the water taste similar or different? Explain.

Do not taste boiling or hot water; you may burn yourself.