41solution Mixture
41solution Mixture
41solution Mixture
KEY CONCEPT
A solution is a type
of mixture.
BEFORE, you learned
VOCABULARY
EXPLORE Mixtures
solution p. 111
solute p. 112
solvent p. 112
suspension p. 113
MATERIALS
tap water
2 clear plastic cups
plastic spoon
table salt
flour
cup. Stir.
4 Record your observations.
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reading tip
Types of Solutions
Many solutions are made of solids dissolved in liquids. However, solutes,
solvents, and solutions can be gases, liquids, or solids. For example,
oxygen, a gas, is dissolved in seawater. The bubbles in carbonated
drinks come from the release of carbon dioxide gas that was
dissolved in the drink.
Gas Solution
Air is oxygen
and other gases
dissolved in
nitrogen.
Solid Solution
Bronze consists
of tin dissolved
in copper.
Liquid Solution
Water often
contains many
dissolved
substances.
In some solutions, both the solute and the solvent are in the
same physical state. Vinegar, for example, is a solution of acetic
acid in water. In a solution of different liquids, it may be difficult
to say which substance is the solute and which is the solvent.
In general, the substance present in the greater amount is the
solvent. Since there is more water than acetic acid in vinegar,
water is the solvent and acetic acid is the solute.
Although you may usually think of a solution as a liquid,
solid solutions also exist. For example, bronze is a solid
solution in which tin is the solute and copper is the solvent.
Solid solutions are not formed as solids. Instead, the solvent
metal is heated until it melts and becomes a liquid. Then the
solute is added, and the substances are thoroughly mixed
together. When the mixture cools, it is a solid solution.
Solutions made of combinations of gases are also common.
The air you breathe is a solution. Because nitrogen makes up
the largest portion of air, it is the solvent. Other gases present,
such as oxygen and carbon dioxide, are solutes.
When substances in a solution are in the same physical
state, which is the solvent?
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Solutions
How can you separate the parts of a solution?
SKILL FOCUS
Observing
PROCEDURE
1 Draw a solid black circular region 6 cm in diameter around the point of the filter.
2 Place the filter, point up, over the top of the bottle.
3 Squeeze several drops of water onto the point of the filter.
4 Observe the filter once every minute for 10 minutes.
MATERIALS
black marker
coffee filter
plastic bottle
eyedropper
tap water
TIME
15 minutes
Suspensions
When you add flour to water, the mixture turns cloudy, and you cannot
see through it. This mixture is not a solution but a suspension.
In a suspension, the particles are larger than those found in a solution.
Instead of dissolving, these larger particles turn the liquid cloudy.
Sometimes you can separate the components of a suspension by
filtering the mixture.
dissolved particle
suspended particle
solvent
solvent
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covalent compound
added to solvent
added to solvent
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reminder
Adding salt to
lower the freezing
point of ice helps
to make ice cream.
115
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A solute lowers the freezing point and raises the boiling point of
the solvent in the solution. The result is that the solute extends the
temperature range in which the solvent remains a liquid. One way in
which both a decrease in freezing point and an increase in boiling
point can be useful in the same solution involves a cars radiator.
Antifreeze, which is mostly a chemical called ethylene glycol, is often
added to the water in the radiator. This solution prevents the water from
freezing in the winter and also keeps it from boiling in the summer.
KEY CONCEPTS
CRITICAL THINKING
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CHALLENGE
6. Synthesize People often
sprinkle salt on icy driveways
and sidewalks. Would a substance like flour have a similar
effect on the ice? Explain.