Solutions and Solubility Concepts

Flashcards covering key concepts related to solutions and solubility from the chemistry lecture notes.

Solution

A homogeneous mixture of two or more substances, where the solute is dissolved in the solvent.

Solute

The substance that is dissolved in a solution, which may be a solid, liquid, or gas.

Solvent

The component of a solution that is present in a larger amount, typically a liquid that dissolves the solute.

Electrolyte

A substance that produces ions when dissolved in water and can conduct electricity.

Nonelectrolyte

A substance that does not produce ions in solution and does not conduct electricity.

Solubility

The maximum amount of solute that can dissolve in a specific amount of solvent at a given temperature.

Saturated solution

A solution that contains the maximum amount of solute that can dissolve; any additional solute will remain undissolved.

Unsaturated solution

A solution that contains less solute than it has the capacity to dissolve.

Dilution

The process of reducing the concentration of a solute in a solution, usually by adding more solvent.

Molarity (M)

A measurement of concentration defined as the number of moles of solute per liter of solution.

Osmosis

The movement of solvent molecules through a selectively permeable membrane from a region of lower solute concentration to a region of higher solute concentration.

Isotonic solution

A solution that exerts the same osmotic pressure as body fluids, resulting in no net movement of water into or out of cells.

Hypotonic solution

A solution with a lower solute concentration than that of the cell, causing water to flow into the cell and potentially leading to hemolysis.

Hypertonic solution

A solution with a higher solute concentration than that of the cell, causing water to flow out of the cell and leading to crenation.

Henry's law

A principle stating that the solubility of a gas in a liquid is proportional to the pressure of that gas above the liquid.

Strong electrolyte

A substance that completely ionizes in solution, producing a high concentration of ions that can conduct electricity.

Weak electrolyte

A substance that partially ionizes in solution and produces a low concentration of ions.

Equivalence (Eq)

The amount of an electrolyte or ion that provides one mole of electrical charge.