Solution and Solubility
A solution is a uniform or homogeneous mixture of two or more
substances. A solute is a dissolved substance which may be a solid,
liquid or gas. A solvent is a substance (usually a liquid, although it may
be a gas) which dissolves a solute.
A solution is formed when a solid, such as crystal of copperII)
tetraoxosulphate(VI), dissolves in a liquid, such as water, to produce a
homogeneous mixture. The solid is called the solute and the liquid the
solvent.
CuSO4(S) + 5H2O(l) CuSO4.5H2O
solute solvent solution
Water as a universal solvent
The most common solvent in nature is water. It is usually referred to as
the universal solvent. Water molecule has a structure which is polar in
nature, i.e. one side is negatively charged while the other side is
positively charged.
As a result of this polar structure, water is an excellent solvent for
electrovalent solutes such as salts, mineral acids and bases. These are
mainly inorganic substances. All covalent compounds which contain the
hydroxyl group will also dissolve in water. Examples are organic solids
like sugar, and organic liquids like ethanol and propane-1,2,3-triol
(glycerol)
Besides these, all gases can dissolve in water to some extent. Gases
which ionize in solution, or which react with water are found to be very
soluble, e.g. ammonia, hydrogen chloride and nitrogen(IV) oxide.
Types of solutions
1. Aqueous solution: familiar solutions are those where the solutes
are dissolved in a liquid solvent. When the liquid is water, the
solution is known as an aqueous solution.
2. Chemical solution: in some cases, the apparent solution of a
solute in a solvent is accompanied by a chemical reaction. This is
often known as a chemical solution. For example, when
magnesium appears to dissolve in dilute hydrochloric acid, what
actually happens is that the magnesium attacks the acid to form
magnesium chloride, which dissolves in the water present.
Table: Examples of solution
Solution Solute(state) Solvent(state)
Brine Sodium chloride(s) Water(l)
Anti-freeze Alkanol(s) Water(l)
Soda water Carbon(IV)oxide(g) Water(l)
Brass Zinc(s) Copper(s)
Air Mainly oxygen(g) Nitrogen(g)
Uses of solvents
1. In laundries and dry cleaners,
- Fat, oil and grease stains are removed by solvents like petrol,
kerosene or ammonia;
- Paint stains are removed by turpentine
- Coffee or tea stains are removed by a solution of borax in
water
2. For the general cleaning of household or office furniture and
equipment, petrol is used to remove stains of wax, grease, fat and
oil.
3. In the manufacture of perfumes, aromatic (i.e. sweet – smelling)
oils are dissolved in ethanol.
4. In the laboratory, chlorophyll(the green pigment in leaves) is
extracted by boiling the leaves in ethanol.
5. The vulcanizer’s solution for mending punctures in the inner tubes
of car tyres is prepared by dissolving rubber and certain other
substances in benzene.
6. The iodine solution for dressing wounds in the dispensary is
prepared by dissolving solid iodine in ethanol
7. Turpentine is used to mix water-proof paints for the painting of
walls.
8. Water, being the universal solvent, serves as a very suitable
medium for most chemical reactions especially in living systems.
True solutions and False solutions (colloids)
1. True solution: when solute particles dissolves such that they are
able to get in between the solvent particles, the resultant
homogeneous mixture is called true solution. The solute particles,
which are simple molecules or ions are called crystalloids.
Examples of true solutions are aqueous solutions of sodium
chloride and copper(II)tetraoxosulphate(VI).
2. False solutions or colloids: in false solution or colloidal solution,
the individual solute particles are large than the particles of the
true solution, but not large to be seen by the naked eye. Some
examples of colloids are starch and albumen.
Types of colloids
In a colloidal or false solution, the liquid solvent is more
appropriately known as the dispersion medium while the solid
solute particles constitute the dispersed substance.
1. Sols and gels: the most common type of colloid is one where solid
articles are dispersed in liquid medium. Such solid-liquid colloidal
system are called sols. Most sols can solidify under certain
conditions to form gels. Examples of sols are starch, glue, agar,
jelly, gelatin and clay.
2. Aerosol: these are systems where liquid particles are dispersed in
a gas. Fog and smoke are aerosols. Examples of aerosols are the
spray of insecticides and deodorants from aerosol cans
3. Emulsion: in this colloidal system, a liquid is dispersed in another
liquid. Examples of emulsions are milk, hair cream and cod liver oil
emulsion. Butter is solid emulsion, i.e. liquid particles are
dispersed in a solid medium. The cleaning action of soap and
detergents is due to their ability to form emulsion.
Table: examples of colloids
Example of colloids Solvent or dispersion Solute or dispersed
medium substance
Fog Gas Liquid
Smoke Gas Solid
Foam or lather Liquid Gas
Emulsion Liquid Liquid
Sols Liquid Solid
SATURATED, UNSATURATED AND SUPER-SATURATED SOLUTIONS
1. Saturated solution: a saturated solution of a solute at a given
temperature is one which contains as much as solute as it can
dissolve at that temperature in the presence of undissolved solute
particles.
In a saturated solution, the dissolved solutes and the
undissolved solutes are in equilibrium at a particular temperature.
Any change in temperature will disturb this equilibrium and the
system must alter to counter the change.
2. Unsaturated solution: an unsaturated solution is one which
contains less solute than it can dissolve/hold at that temperature.
3. Supersaturated solution: a supersaturated solution is one which
contains more of the solute than it can normally hold/dissolve at
that temperature.
Supersaturated solutions are unstable and the excess solute
will separate out if the solution is disturbed slightly by shaking or
if a tiny crystal of the solute or even a dust particle is dropped into
it.
SUSPENSIONS
A suspension is a heterogeneous mixture of undissolved particles
in a given medium. The particles are usually large enough to be
seen without the aid of an instrument, and they eventually settle
down if left standing.
SOLUBILITY
The solubility of a solute in a solvent at a particular temperature is
the maximum amount of the solute in moles or grams that will
saturate 1 dm3 of the solvent at that temperature. The solubility
of a solid in a liquid can also be defined as the number of moles of
the solid that would dissolve in 1dm3 of the liquid at the given
temperature, in the presence of excess of the solid. The
concentration of a saturated solution is termed the solubility of
the substance.
Solubility graphs or curves
If the solubilities of a solute in a given solvent are plotted against
their respective temperatures, a solubility graph or curve
showing the effect of temperature on the solubility of the
substance will be obtained. For comparing the solubilities of
different solutes in a given solvent, several curves can be plotted
on the same axes (see fig below)
From the fig above, we can deduce the following for the temperature
range of O0C to 100oC.
1. Solubility of sodium chloride is independent of temperature
2. Sodium tetraoxosulphate(VI) shows a solubility curve with a sharp
break at 360C. This is because the salt exists in solution as sodium
tetraoxosulphate(VI) –decahydrate, Na2SO4.10H2O, at
temperature below 360C but gives up its water of crystallization
to become anhydrous at temperature above 360C. Thus, 360C is
referred to as the transition point. If cooled, a saturated solution
of sodium tetraoxosulphate(VI) will deposit
● The hydrated crystals, Na2SO4.10H2O, at temperature below
360C, and
● The anhydrous salt, Na2SO4, at temperatures above 360C
3. The solubility of barium trioxonitrate(V) increases slowly with the
rise in temperature.
4. The solubility of Na2HAsO4 increases very rapidly with increase in
temperature.
Factors affecting solubility
1. Nature of solvent and solute: the solvent used depends on its
reactive character and the temperature range over which it can
be used at ordinary pressure.
2. Temperature: the solubility of most solids increases with rise in
temperature.
3. Pressure: generally, the effect of pressure on solubility is small,
unless gases are involved.
Applications of solubility cur
Solubility curves enable pharmacists to determine the amount of
solid drugs that must be dissolved in a given quantity of solvent to
give a prescribed drug mixture.
1. The curve also enable chemists and research workers to
determine the most suitable solvents to be used at various
temperatures for the extraction of essential chemicals from
various natural sources
2. With the help of solubility curves, a given mixture of solutes
can be separated or purified by fractional crystallization.
Calculations based on solubility
1. If 12.2g of lead(II) trioxonitrate(V) were dissolved in 21g of distilled
water at 20oC, calculate the solubility of the solute in mol/dm3?
Solution
Molar mass of Pb(NO3)2 = 331g
12.2
12.2g of Pb(NO3)2 = = 0.037mole.
331
21g of water at 20oC dissolved 0.037 mole of Pb(NO3)2,
1000 � 0.037
჻ 1000cm3 of water at 200C dissolved =
21
= 1.76moles of Pb(NO3)2
჻ at 20 C, the solubility of Pb(NO3)2 in water is 1.76 moles/dm3
0
Using formula method,
���� 1000
Solubility = X
����� ���� ���.
12.2 1000
= x
331 21
= 1.7751
= 1.76mol/dm3
2. The solubility of potassium trioxonitrate(V) is exactly 1800g per
1000g of water at 83oC and 700g per 1000g of water at 40oC.
calculate the mass of potassium trioxonitrate(V) that will crystallize
out of solution if 155g of the saturated solution at 83oC is cooled to
40oC.
Solution
Solvent + solute = solution
Masses involved at 83 C : o
1000g + 1800g = 2800g
Masses involved at 40oC : 1000G + 700G = 1700g
Solute deposited on cooling
From 83oC to 40oC = 2800g – 1700g = 1100g
On cooling from 83oC to 40oC,
2800g of saturated solution deposit 1100g of solute,
1100 � 155
჻155g of saturated solution will deposit =
2800
= 60.89g of solute.