Skip to main content

Is solubility increased by stirring or adding more solute?

Solubility can be thought of as the maximum amount of a solute that can dissolve in a solvent, at equilibrium. Remember that a solute is a substance that is dissolved, while solvent is a substance in which the dissolution takes place. 


Since solubility is the upper limit, it cannot be increased by stirring the solution or by adding more solute. Stirring the solution will simply increase the rate of dissolution, but not the maximum amount of solute that can be dissolved. Stirring spreads the solute uniformly in a solvent and increases the number of interactions between solute and solvent molecules. This causes a higher rate of dissolution. That is why we stir hot tea after adding sugar to it. Increasing the amount of solute, beyond the solubility limit, will not help and all the extra solute will be left out of the solution. Another method to increase the rate of mixing is by providing increasing the surface area of the solute, say by grinding or crushing it into smaller fragments. 


It is the temperature that affects the solubility of a solute in a solvent. With an increase in temperature, more solute can be dissolved in the solvent. 


Hope this helps. 

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Is there a word/phrase for "unperformant"?

As a software engineer, I need to sometimes describe a piece of code as something that lacks performance or was not written with performance in mind. Example: This kind of coding style leads to unmaintainable and unperformant code. Based on my Google searches, this isn't a real word. What is the correct way to describe this? EDIT My usage of "performance" here is in regard to speed and efficiency. For example, the better the performance of code the faster the application runs. My question and example target the negative definition, which is in reference to preventing inefficient coding practices. Answer This kind of coding style leads to unmaintainable and unperformant code. In my opinion, reads more easily as: This coding style leads to unmaintainable and poorly performing code. The key to well-written documentation and reports lies in ease of understanding. Adding poorly understood words such as performant decreases that ease. In addressing the use of such a poorly ...
Post a Comment
Read more

Is 'efficate' a word in English?

I routinely hear the word "efficate" being used. For example, "The most powerful way to efficate a change in the system is to participate." I do not find entries for this word in common English dictionaries, but I do not have an unabridged dictionary. I have checked the OED (I'm not sure if it is considered unabridged), and it has no entry for "efficate". It does have an entry for "efficiate", which is used in the same way. Wordnik has an entry for "efficate" with over 1800 hits, thus providing some evidence for the frequency of use. I personally like the word and find the meaning very clear and obvious when others use it. If it's not currently an "officially documented" word, perhaps its continued use will result in it being better documented.
Post a Comment
Read more