Solution, Solutes and Electrolytes

Hi, welcome back to our blog about solution and electrolytes.

In this part, we’ll give you a more in depth description and explanation about solution electrolytes.

Let’s begin shall we.

Three Types of Mixture

When a substance(dissolve-ee) is mixed with a solvent(dissolve-er), three types of mixture may be formed. Those are solution, colloids, and suspension.

Example of suspension, colloid, and solution Taken from : imgkid.com

Firstly, a solution is a mixture of one substance dissolved in another so the properties are the same throughout. A solution is composed of a solute and the solvent. The solute is the substance being dissolved and the solvent is the part of the solution that does the dissolving. The solute is of molecular size. One example of solution is a simple salt and water. You can’t see the salt and the water in a separate manner even in microscopic scale.

Secondly, a suspension is a mixture between two substances, one of which is finely divided and dispersed in the other. Common suspensions include sand in water, dust in air, and droplets of oil in air. Particles in a suspension are generally larger than those in a solutions; they are visible under a microscope and can often be seen with the naked eye. Particles in a suspension will settle out if the suspension is allowed to stand undisturbed. Many particles of a suspension can be separated through a filter. An example of a simple suspension would be flour in water, or sand in water, which can be seen macroscopically.

Finally, a colloid is a type of mixture that has half the property of solution and the other half is from suspension. Example of a colloid is paints. An observer would only see the pigments in a magnified condition.

 

Another Three Types of Solution

In addition, solutions can also be classified as saturated, unsaturated, or supersaturated.

Many solvents have a capacity towards dissolving solutes. The instance of maximum capacity is called a saturation point. A saturated solution is one that holds all the solute it possibly can at any given temperature. For example, if you make a solution containing 37 grams of sodium chloride in 100 grams of water, the solution is said to be saturated; it cannot hold any more sodium chloride. If you happen to add more salt, even just a tiny bit, it will not dissolve anymore.

Any solution containing less than the maximum possible amount of solute is said to be unsaturated. A solution with 5 grams of sodium chloride (or 10 grams or 20 grams or 30 grams) in 100 grams of water is unsaturated.

Next, supersaturated solutions are also possible. As bizarre as it sounds, a supersaturated solution is one that holds more solute than is possible at some given temperature. The way to make a supersaturated solution is to make a saturated solution at some higher temperature and then let the solution cool very carefully.

For example, one could make a saturated solution of sugar in water at 50°C by adding 130 grams of sugar to 100 grams of water. That solution would be saturated. But then, one could allow the solution to cool down very slowly. Under those circumstances, it might happen that all of the sugar would remain in solution even at a temperature of 25°C. But at that temperature, the solubility of sugar is normally a little over 100 grams per 100 grams of water. Therefore, the cooled solution would be supersaturated. Supersaturated solutions are normally very unstable. The slightest movement in the solution, such as simply shaking it, can cause the excess solute to settle out of the solution.

 

Rules of dissolving

Dissolution follows the rule of polarity. For instance, salt and water are both polar, while oil is nonpolar. The rule for solubility is “like dissolves like”. On the molecular level, salt is composed of sodium and chloride ions, which are positively and negatively charged. This causes them to be polarized. The water molecule, being asymmetrical, is also polarized. Oil, on the other hand, consists of carbon to hydrogen bonds, which are neither charged nor polar. Therefore, the polar salt dissolves in the polar water but not the non-polar oil.

Adding on, solutes that are dissolved in solvent results in the formation of a stable single phased (aqueous) homogeneous mixture known as a solution. In addition, the solute from a solution cannot be separated by physical methods such as filtration.

In ionizing solvents such as water, it has the capability to ionize solutes to form electrolytes. Ionized substances can either be positively or negatively charged and are known as cations and anions respectively. When ionized, such substances acquires the ability to conduct electricity.

In the human body, electrolytes are vital to survival. Electrolytes are required in the maintenance of our cellular function and organs. Some electrolytes include sodium (Na+), potassium (K+), calcium (Ca2+), chloride (Cl-), etc

Therefore, these chemical concepts aids in the understanding of the characteristics and properties of solution and solutes.

See you soon on our next post. 🙂

 

Resources :

http://health.howstuffworks.com/wellness/diet-fitness/information/question565.htm

http://www.medicinenet.com/electrolytes/article.htm

http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/153188.php

http://www.encyclopedia.com/topic/solution.aspx

http://www.funtrivia.com/en/subtopics/Properties-of-Solutions-327199.html

 

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