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Elements, Compounds and Mixtures
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.
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