SOLUTION
TERMILOGIES
Any homogeneous mixture is a solution. The part of a
solution that dissolves is known as the solvent, whereas the
part that is dissolved is known as the solute. The component
that is present in the highest proportion by mass, moles, or
volume is almost invariably the solvent.
We refer to a substance as being soluble in another
substance when it dissolves into that other substance. If a
substance does not dissolve into another substance, we say
it is insoluble in that substance. We refer to two liquids
as being miscible when they can dissolve into one another in
any amount. We refer to two things as being immiscible with
one another if they cannot combine into one another.
For every feasible solvent and solute phase pairing, a solution exists. For instance, salt water
is a mixture of solid NaCl and liquid water, whereas air is a mixture of gaseous oxygen and a
gaseous solvent (N2). But in every situation, the solvent's phase and the solution's overall
phase are the same. A gaseous solution is one in which the predominant phase is a gas. A
liquid solution is a mixture in which the liquid phase dominates. A solid solution is one in
which the predominant phase is a solid.
As we just taught, water is not always necessary for a solution. Aqueous
solutions, on the other hand, are those in which water serves as the
solvent. A nonaqueous solution is one in which the solvent is something
other than water.
The phrases "dilute" and "concentrated" are frequently used to describe
the proportions of solute and solvent. A concentrated solution is one
that has a comparatively significant amount of solute dissolved in a
solvent as opposed to a dilute solution, which includes a smaller amount
of solute. The line separating a diluted solution from a concentrated
solution is not fixed, and the solute and/or solvent can affect whether a
solution is diluted or concentrated.
Water easily dissolves table salt, NaCl. Most of the time, a particular amount of
solvent can only dissolve a specific maximum amount of solute. The solubility of the
solute is defined as this upper limit. The amount of solute that can dissolve in 100 g
of the solvent at a specific temperature is typically used to express it.
We refer to a solution as being saturated with solute when the maximum amount of
solute has been dissolved in a given amount of solvent at a given temperature. The
solution is unsaturated when less solute than the maximum quantity that can
dissolve in a given amount of solvent at a particular temperature. Due to the fact
that each solute has a unique solubility, these phrases are also qualitative. At 25°C,
a solution of 0.00019 g of AgCl per 100 g of H2O may be saturated, but it is also
quite diluted due to the small amount of solute dissolved. At 25°C, a saturated
solution of 36.1 g of NaCl in 100 g of water is also present, although it is more
concentrated.
The previous solution was saturated if extra solute is added and it does not
dissolve. The original solution was unsaturated if the extra solute dissolves.
It is necessary to saturate a solution that has reached equilibrium but still
has additional undissolved solute at the bottom of the container.
Despite this, a solution may occasionally have more solute dissolved than a
saturated solution at a particular temperature. A supersaturated solution is
one such as this. By first heating the solvent and then allowing it to slowly
cool, one can create a supersaturated solution by dissolving more solute
than would typically dissolve at room temperature. Solutions that are
oversaturated are unstable.