GCSE CHEMISTRY - What is a Solution? - What happens when a Solid dissolves in a Liquid?

What is a Solution?

A solid or a gas dissolved in a liquid is called a solution.
A mixture of two miscible liquids is also called a solution.

The dissolved substance is called the solute.
The liquid used for dissolving is called the solvent.

What happens when a Solid Dissolves?

A solid dissolves when the particles of the solvent are able to
overcome the force of attraction between the particles of the solid.
An example is an ionic compound dissolving in water.
The force of attraction between the ions is the ionic bond.

When an ionic solid dissolves, water molecules are able to
pull the ions apart and separate them from each other.
Each ion is surrounded by water molecules and is free to
move around in the solution. The water molecules prevent
the oppositely charged ions from making bonds with each other.

Ionic compounds dissolve in water at a temperature that is much
lower than the melting point of the compound. The amount of a solid
that can dissolve in a solvent is different for different solids.
The amount of a solid that can dissolve in a solvent also
changes with temperature. A solution that has the maximium
amount of a solid dissolved in it is called a saturated solution.
Crystallisation is used to separate a solid from a saturated solution.

Headings Search Questions

gcsescience.com Contents The Periodic Table Index Quizzes gcsescience.com