5. Dissolving - Rates of dissolving

Mixture

Two or more different materials that have been mixed together

Solution

A special type of mixture where one substance seems to disappear into another

Solute

The substance that looks as if it has disappeared into the solvent

Solvent

The substance that makes the solute disappear (e.g., water in a sugar solution)

Soluble substance

A substance that forms a solution when mixed with water

Insoluble substance

A substance that does not form a solution when mixed with water

Dissolve

When the particles of a solute spread throughout the particles of a solvent to make a solution

Saturated solution

A solution where no more solute can possibly dissolve in the solvent

Evaporation

A method to separate solutions by heating, so the solvent turns into vapor, leaving the dry solute behind

Melting

The process when a solid changes into a liquid

Rate of dissolving

Refers to how quickly a solute dissolves in a solvent

Temperature

A factor that affects the rate of dissolving; a solute generally dissolves faster if the solvent is warm

Stir

An action that can make a solute dissolve faster

Grain size

A factor that affects the rate of dissolving; a solute dissolves faster if the size of its grains is small

Variable

Something that can be changed or measured in an experiment