Solutions, Solubility and Concentration

Solution- mixture that has the same composition, colour, density and taste throughout.

• Solute- substance being dissolved

• Solvent- substance doing dissolving

Solutions can be gaseous, like the air you breathe, or even a solid, like brass and sterling silver.

When forming a solution, there are three ways to speed up the rate of the dissolving process:

1. Stirring- brings more solvent in contact with solute.

2. Increase surface area- by breaking up a solid, for instance, by crushing it into a powder, allows more solvent to come in contact with solute.

3. Increase temperature- increasing temperature speeds up particles causing them to bump each other, breaking apart and coming in contact with solvent.

Solubility- maximum amount of a solute that can be dissolved in a given amount of solvent at a temperature.

Concentration- percent by volume of solute in solvent.

• concentrated- large amount of solute in solvent

• dilute- small amount of solute in solvent

Types of Solutions

• Unsaturated- able to dissolve more solute at a given temperature.

• Saturated- Contains all solute it can hold at a given temperature.

• Supersaturated- contains more solute than a saturated one and solution is unstable.

Strength of solutions: Concentration