Dissolving Substances in Water

Flashcards based on the lecture notes about the process of dissolving substances in water, including key concepts and definitions.

What is the atomic view of dissolving substances in water focused on?

How water molecules dissolve solute particles.

What is the solute in the process of dissolving sugar in water?

Sugar (sucrose) is the solute.

What is the chemical formula of water?

H₂O.

What happens to sugar molecules when they dissolve in water?

Sugar molecules separate from each other but do not break into atoms.

What is solvation?

Solvation is when solute particles get surrounded by solvent molecules.

What do we call the clusters of water molecules around a solute particle?

Hydration or solvent cages.

How do ionic compounds like sodium chloride dissolve in water?

They dissociate into separate positive and negative ions.

Why is water able to dissolve ionic compounds?

Water is a polar molecule with partial charges that attract to the ions.

What does the state symbol (s) represent?

Solid.

What does the state symbol (aq) represent?

Aqueous, or dissolved in water.

How do covalent compounds dissolve in water?

They dissolve as whole molecules.

What is the key difference in how ionic and covalent compounds dissolve?

Covalent compounds do not dissociate, while ionic compounds dissociate into separate ions.