C Curriculum Explorer
Science·Matter & Materials·conceptual

Dissolving & Solutions

Understand that some materials dissolve in liquid to form a solution, and describe how to recover a substance from a solution by evaporation

Suggested ages 9–10

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Learning journey

Your child is exploring how materials behave and change — investigating which substances dissolve in water, learning to separate mixtures, and distinguishing between changes that can be reversed and those that create entirely new materials.

Evidence of understanding

  • Explain that dissolving means a solid mixes completely into a liquid to form a solution
  • Describe how to recover a dissolved substance by evaporating the liquid
  • Distinguish between a mixture (can see separate parts) and a solution (looks clear, fully dissolved)

Assessment prompt

Can Dissolving & Solutions explain what happens when sugar dissolves in tea, and figure out how to get the salt back from salty water?

Standards alignment

Y5.Sci.PCM.2GB · uk-nc-2013

Dissolving and recovering substances

The national curriculum in England: Key stages 1 and 2 framework document · Key Stage 2