Factors that Affect the Rate of Solvation

temperature: most solutes dissolve faster at higher temperatures because the molecules have more energy to “pull” the solute molecules apart due to increased force and frequency of collisions

concentration: as the concentration increases, more and more solvent molecules are occupied with solute particles

• the higher the concentration of the solute, the more slowly the solute will dissolve

surface area: because the solvent-solute interactions happen at the surface of the solute particles, the greater the surface area, the faster the solvent dissolves

pressure: for gases dissolving in liquids, increasing the pressure will force more gas molecules into the liquid, increasing the rate at which the gas dissolves

mixing: the faster a solution is mixed/stirred, the faster the solute will dissolve

• this is because mixing increases solute/solvent particle collisions, facilitating IMF formation between the two while also evenly distributing the concentration of solute throughout the solution