Solutions, Solubility, and Concentration Flashcards

Vocabulary flashcards covering mixtures, solutions, solute and solvent roles, solubility, rates of dissolution, and qualitative and quantitative concentration terms.

Mixture

A substance made by mixing other substances together.

Heterogeneous Mixture

A mixture that has two or more phases of matter which are usually visible.

Colloid

A mixture wherein the particles of one substance are evenly dispersed or scattered throughout another substance.

Suspension

A heterogeneous mixture wherein insoluble particles are suspended in a liquid or a gas.

Homogeneous Mixture

A mixture that has one phase of matter with a uniform composition throughout; also called a solution.

Solution

A homogeneous mixture in which the solute is uniformly distributed within the solvent.

Solute

A substance that can be dissolved into a solution by a solvent, representing the smaller amount in the solution.

Solvent

A substance that dissolves a solute, representing the greater or greatest amount in the solution.

Solubility

Describes whether a certain solute can be dissolved in a specific solvent, referring to the maximum amount of solute that can be dissolved in a certain amount of solvent at a fixed temperature.

Dissolution

The process by which solutes mix with the solvent to form a solution.

Rate of Dissolution

Describes how fast a certain solute dissolves in a solvent.

Factors Affecting the Rate of Dissolution

The four conditions that influence dissolution speed: temperature, particle size or surface area in contact, agitation, and amount of solute.

Concentration of Solutions

Refers to the amount of solute dissolved in a solution, which can be described quantitatively or qualitatively.

Diluted Solution

Refers to solutions with a very small amount of dissolved solute.

Concentrated Solution

Refers to solutions containing larger amounts of dissolved solute.

Unsaturated Solution

A solution that contains a lesser amount of solute than a saturated solution.

Saturated Solution

A solution in which the solvent has already dissolved the maximum amount of solute that it can dissolve.

Supersaturated Solution

A solution that contains more than the expected maximum amount of solute.

Percent by Mass

A quantitative concentration formula calculated as $\text{\% mass} = \frac{\text{mass solute}}{\text{mass solution}} \times 100\%$, where the mass of the solution equals the mass of the solute plus the mass of the solvent.

Percent by Volume

A quantitative concentration formula calculated as $$ ext{\% volume} = rac{ ext{volume of solute}}{ ext{volume of solution}} imes 100\%