Overview:
Solutions are special types of mixtures that are homogeneous. The particles in those mixtures are not chemically combined, so they can be separated by physical processes such as evaporation. Solutions exist in all three states of matter, gases, liquids, and solids.
What Are Some Types of Solutions?
Any time that gases do not combine chemically, they exist in a solution. Air is a solution of nitrogen, oxygen, and other gases. Sea water is a solution of water, salt, and other chemical compounds. Carbonated water is a solution of carbon dioxide in water. Vinegar is a solution of acetic acid dissolved in water. Alloys are special types of solid solutions. For example, bronze is an allow of copper, tin, and zinc. Sterling silver contains silver and copper. Since gold is a very soft metal, it is combined in alloys with copper and silver to make it hard enough to be worked into jewelry.
What Are Some Properties of Solutions?
The material that is dissolved in another is called the solute, and the material that dissolves another is called the solvent. Usually the larger amount of material in a solution is the solvent. Water is the solvent in many solutions, as well as the largest proportion of material. There is a larger proportion of water than of salt and other minerals in seawater. Solutions can vary in concentrations, so they can contain different ratios of solute to solvent.
What Is Saturation?
Saturation is the point at which no more solute can be added to the solvent. If one adds a teaspoon of sugar to a cup of tea, the sugar will disappear, dissolving in the tea. If enough sugar were added to the same cup, there would be no more solvent to dissolve the sugar, and it would remain in the bottom of the cup. The particles of sugar remain as sugar crystals. It is relatively easy to grow larger crystals, whether salt, sugar, or copper sulfates, from supersaturated solutions.
What Factors Influence Solubility?
The key factors that influence solubility include temperature and pressure. For example, carbonated beverages eventually go flat at room temperature because the carbon dioxide bubbles that were part of the solution at colder temperatures leave the solution when it warms. Similarly, water that is warmed in lakes and streams contains less dissolved oxygen for fish to breathe. Since increased pressure on gases also increases their solubility in liquids, carbonated beverages are bottled under pressure and stay under pressure until their bottle caps or cans are opened.
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