Separating a Mixture using Evaporation

Aim: 

We are trying to Evaporate to separate liquid and solids, with just solids remaining in the basin at the end and liquids in the beaker.

Hypothesis: 
I think many crystals will form of the color blue as the sulfate is blue, and that the crystals will be all kinds of shapes and sizes. Since this is about evaporation I think the sulfate liquids will evaporate by the heat and will be turned into steam.

Equipment:

• Copper Sulfate Solution
• 250ml beaker
• heatproof mat
• evaporating basin
• element

Method:

• Set up your bunsen burner if you don't have one use a stove.
• Add 50 milliliters of water into the beaker and place it onto the bunsen burner.
• Add Sulfate Copper into the basin and make sure it fills up to about a quarter of the basin.
• Carefully place the evaporating basin on top of the beaker.
• If you have a stove turn it to 8, if not turn you bunsen burner till the flame is blue.
• Heat the solution until most of the solvent has been evaporated, til small forms of crystals have appeared.
• Turn of the fire/elements, be careful not to touch the top as it will be hot as you might get minor burns.

Observations: For my observation after around 2 - 5 minutes the water started to boil, and solute started to smell unusual. After 5 - 10 minutes we noticed in other people basins there were crystals. Apart from ours and a few others, there were big particles of crystals but pretty small. There was also still some liquids left.