Chapter 13: Problem 9

Write a paragraph explaining what happens to an ionic salt in the following steps: it is dissolved in water, more of it than its solubility amount is added to the solution, the solution is heated, the solution is cooled to room temperature, and the solution is disturbed by adding more solute.

Short Answer

Expert verified

When a salt is dissolved in water, it dissociates into ions surrounded by water molecules. Adding more salt will exceed the solubility limit and the excess salt will remain undissolved. Heating increases solubility, so more salt dissolves but, upon cooling, the excess salt crystallizes (precipitates). Adding more solute then will not dissolve but also precipitate.

Step by step solution

Dissolving Salt in Water

When an ionic salt is added to water, it dissolves due to the interaction between the water molecules and the ions in the salt. Ions in the salt are attracted to water molecules, so they separate from each other. The water molecules surround the ions, permitting the salt to dissolve.

Exceeding Solubility Limit

If more salt is added than the water can dissolve, the excess salt will remain undissolved in the solution because it has reached its solubility limit. Solubility is the maximum amount of a solute that the solvent can dissolve at a given temperature.

Heating the Solution

When the solution is heated, the kinetic energy of the water molecules increases. This usually results in an increased solubility limit, meaning more salt can dissolve in the water.

Cooling the Solution

As the solution cools down to room temperature, the kinetic energy of the water molecules decreases. This reduces its ability to hold solutes, causing the dissolved salt to crystallize and become a solid again. This is referred to as precipitation.

Disturbing the Solution

When more solute is added to the saturated and cooled solution, it cannot dissolve because the solution has already reached its saturation limit. Thus, the added salt will also precipitate and settle at the bottom.

Unlock Step-by-Step Solutions & Ace Your Exams!

Full Textbook Solutions
Get detailed explanations and key concepts
Unlimited Al creation
Al flashcards, explanations, exams and more...
Ads-free access
To over 500 millions flashcards
Money-back guarantee
We refund you if you fail your exam.

Start your free trial

Over 30 million students worldwide already upgrade their learning with Vaia!

Recommended explanations on Chemistry Textbooks

View all explanations

What do you think about this solution?

We value your feedback to improve our textbook solutions.

Write a paragraph explaining what happens to an ionic salt in the following steps: it is dissolved in water, more of it than its solubility amount is added to the solution, the solution is heated, the solution is cooled to room temperature, and the solution is disturbed by adding more solute.

Short Answer

Step by step solution

Dissolving Salt in Water

Exceeding Solubility Limit

Heating the Solution

Cooling the Solution

Disturbing the Solution

One App. One Place for Learning.

Most popular questions from this chapter

Recommended explanations on Chemistry Textbooks

Chemical Reactions

Ionic and Molecular Compounds

Chemical Analysis

Kinetics

Inorganic Chemistry

Chemistry Branches

Study anywhere. Anytime. Across all devices.