Skip to main content

Solubility

 In chemistry, solubility is the ability of a substance, the solute, to form a solution with another substance, the solvent. Insolubility is the opposite property, the inability of a solute to form such solution.

The extent of the solubility of a substance in a specific solvent is generally measured as the concentration of the solute in a saturated solution, one in which no more solute can be dissolved. At this point, the two substances are said to be at solubility equilibrium. For some solutes and solvents, there may be no such limit, in which case the two substances are said to be "miscible in all proportions" (or just "miscible").



The solute can be a solid, or a liquid, or a gas, while the solvent is usually solid or liquid. Both may be pure substances, or may themselves be solutions. Gases are always miscible in all proportions, except in very extreme situations, and a solid and liquid can be "dissolved" in a gas only by passing into the gaseous state first.

The solubility mainly depends on the composition of solute and solvent (including their pH and the presence of other dissolved substances) as well as on temperature and pressure. The dependancy can often be explained in terms of interactions between particles (atoms, molecules, or ions) of the two substances, and of thermodynamic concepts such as enthalpy and entropy.

Under certain conditions, the concentration of the solute can exceed its usual solubility limit. The result is a supersaturated solution, which is metastable and will rapidly exclude the excess solute if a suitable nucleation site appears.

The concept of solubility does not apply when there is an irreversible chemical reaction between the two substances, such as the reaction of calcium hydroxide with hydrochloric acid, even though one might say, informally, that one "dissolved" the other. The solubility is also not the same as the rate of solution, which is how fast a solid solute dissolves in a liquid solvent. This property depends on many other valuables, such as the physical form of the two substances and the manner and intensity of mixing.

The concept and measure of solubility are extremely important in many sciences besides chemistry, such as geology, biology, physics, and oceanography, as well as in engineering, medicine, agriculture and even in non-technical activities like painting, cleaning, cooking, and brewing. Most chemical reactions of scientific, industrial, or practical interest only happen after the reagents have been dissolved in a suitable solvent. Water is by far the most common example of such solvent.

The term "soluble" is sometimes used for materials that can form colloidal suspensions of very fine solid particles in a liquid. The quantitative solubility of such substances is generally not well-defined, however.

x----------x

The post is sponsored by Fendi male watch.

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Stoichiometry

 Stoichiometry refers to the relationship between the quantities of reactants and products before, during, and following chemical  reactions. Stoichiometry was founded on the law of conservation of mass where the total mass of the reactants equals the total mass of the products, leading to the insight that the relations among qualities of reactants and products typically form a ratio of positive integers. This means that if the amounts of separate reactants are known, then the amount of the product can be calculated. Conversely, if one reactant has a known quantity and the quantity of the products can be empirically determined, then the amount of other reactants can also be calculated. This is illustrated in this example, where the balanced equation is:          CH4 + 2O4 -----> CO2 + 2H2O Here, one molecule of methane reacts with two molecules of oxygen gas to yield one molecule of carbon dioxide and two molecules of water. This particular chemical...
Post a Comment
Read more

Gospel Harmony

 A gospel harmony is an attempt to collate the Christian canonical gospels into a single account. Harmonies are constructed by some writers in order to make the gospel story available to a wider audience, both religious and secular. Harmonies can be studied by scholars to establsh a coherent chronology of the events depicted in the four canonical gospels in the life of Jesus, to better understand how the accounts relate to each other, and to critically evaluate their differences. The terms harmony  and synopsis  have been used to several different approaches to consolidating the canonical gospels. Technically, a "harmony" weaves together sections of scripture into a single narrative, merging the four gospels. There are four main types of harmony : radical, synthetic, sequential, and parallel. By a contrast, a "synopsis," much like a parallel harmony, juxtaposes similar texts or accounts in parallel format, synchronized by time, while preserving their individual iden...
Post a Comment
Read more

Narrative Conflict

In works of narrative, conflict is the challenge main characters need to solve to achieve their goals. Traditionally, conflict is a major literary element of narrative or dramatic structure that creates challenges in a story by adding uncertainty as to whether the goal will be achieved. A narrative is not limited to a single conflict. While conflicts may not always resolve in narrative, the resolution of a conflict creates closure or fulfillment, which may or may not occur at a story's end. Conflict in literature refers to the different drives of the characters or forces involved. Conflict may be internal or external--that is, it can occur within a character's mind or between a character and exterior forces (or point/s of view). Conflict is most visible between two or more characters, usually between a protagonist and antagonist/villain/enemy, but can occur in many different forms. A character may as easily find himself or herself in conflict with a natural force, such as an an...
Post a Comment
Read more