What Is the Difference between Infusing and Dissolving?

Tea Party Science: How does a tea differ from a sugar-and-water mixture? Learn the difference between infusing and dissolving with this (mostly) delicious at-home activity. Image: CrazyAuntLindsey.com

Key concepts
Infusion
Dissolving
Chemistry

Introduction
Teacups, herbs, spices, hot water and a friend. Sounds like the ingredients for a fabulous tea party, right? But there is some serious science to be learned in the seemingly simple act of steeping and stirring sweeteners into water. For example, have you ever wondered why we add hot water instead of cold water to make tea?or to help sugar or salt dissolve? Take a deeper look into infusing and dissolving, a very important first step in many scientific procedures, with this fun?and tasty?activity.

Background
Heat releases the nutrients and essences of many things like herbs, flowers, seeds and spices. Water can also melt substances to the point that they disappear to the naked eye. The difference between the two is that when something is infused in water, it actually becomes a permanent part of it. When something is dissolved, it is still itself?only broken into smaller particles, which can be removed with other techniques (such as evaporation).

Materials
??? ?Five teacups
??? ?Three clear glasses
??? ?Five types of herbs, spices, seeds or edible flowers (we used nutmeg, cinnamon bark, red pepper flakes, clove flower and echinacea)
??? ?Boiling water
??? ?Tea strainer, tea ball or cheesecloth
??? ?Salt
??? ?Sugar
??? ?Agave nectar, maple syrup or honey
??? ?Notebook and pen
??? ?Friends

Preparation
??? ?Please observe heat safety precautions. An adult should assist with the boiling and dispensing of hot water.
??? ?You may want to prepare "tea" bags: Place each herb or spice into piece of cheesecloth and tie it tightly with string.
??? ?Set up your laboratory by assigning a spice, sweetener and salt to separate cups and bowls.

Procedure
??? ?Take three clear glasses and carefully fill them about one quarter full with hot water.
??? ?In one glass, spoon in your salt. What happens to the granules? Now stir your salted water until the granules disappear. How long does it take for the salt granules to disappear?
??? ?Repeat this process two more times, but use the sugar and the liquid sweetener you chose.
??? ?Does the color change? Does the odor change? You can record these changes with the pen and paper.
??? ?Have the adult pour the boiling water into the cups, over the strainers/tea bags.
??? ?Let them sit (steep) for two to five minutes. How do the colors change? How do the smells change?
??? ?What do your infusions taste like?
??? ?Extra: In water, when something is dissolved you can also reverse the process. If left out, the water will evaporate out of the solution, and the dissolved substance will settle at the bottom of the container or crystallize into a crust. Find a dry place where a cup will not be disturbed and leave one or more of the dissolved water solutions out until the water has evaporated.

Source: http://rss.sciam.com/click.phdo?i=eda2455f815cff28b07a4ff52410ea58

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