Investigating Dissolution and Precipitation Phenomena with a Smartphone Microscope

Abstract

A novel smartphone microscope can be used to observe the dissolution and crystallization of sodium chloride at a microscopic level. Observation of these seemingly simple phenomena through the microscope at 100× magnification can actually reveal some surprising behavior. These experiments offer the opportunity to discuss some basic concepts such as how the morphological features of the crystals dictate how the dissolution process proceeds, and how materials can be purified by recrystallization techniques.