How Much Can Be How Much Can Be Dissolved?Dissolved?Chapter 6

Water: The Universal Water: The Universal SolventSolventWater is often called the

universal solvent.

More substances are soluble in water than in almost any other solvent.

Saturated SolutionsSaturated SolutionsQuestion:

Is there a limit to the amount of solute that can be dissolved in a solution?

There is a limit to just how concentrated most solutions can become.

A concentrated solution is a solution that contains a lot of solute for the amount of solvent. (Ex: A lot of sugar, not a lot of water)

Saturated SolutionsSaturated SolutionsThe limit is reached when no

amount of stirring can make more solute dissolve in the solvent.

At this point, the solution is said to be saturated.

Saturated vs. UnsaturatedSaturated vs. UnsaturatedA saturated solution is one in which

no more solute will dissolve at a specific temperature.

An unsaturated solution is one in which more of the solute could dissolve at the same temperature.

How the Particle Theory How the Particle Theory Explains Saturated SolutionsExplains Saturated SolutionsHow can the particle theory of

matter explain saturated solutions?

According to the particle theory, no more solid dissolves in a saturated solution because all of the water particles are already attracted to as many solute particles as they can be.

How the Particle Theory How the Particle Theory Explains Saturated SolutionsExplains Saturated SolutionsSolubility refers to the mass (how

much) of a solute that can dissolve in a specific amount of solvent to form a saturated solution (at a specific temperature).

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Supersaturated SolutionsSupersaturated SolutionsIt is possible to pass the saturation limit

in some solutions.

When we heat a solution, it is able to dissolve more solute than it would at room temperature.

A solution that contains more solute than would normally dissolve at a certain temperature is called a supersaturated solution.

Example of SaturationExample of SaturationHave you ever wondered what

“dew point” means when you hear it on a weather report?

Example of SaturationExample of SaturationDew point is related to

saturation.

All air contains some dissolved water vapour.

The dew point is the temperature at which the air is saturated with water vapour.

Example of SaturationExample of SaturationIf the air gets colder than the

dew point, it will not be able to keep as much water vapour.

The excess water that cannot stay dissolved will turn into droplets of rain, frost, or flakes of snow.