Physical Properties of Solutions

Physical
Properties of
Solutions
What exactly is a solution?
• A solution is a homogeneous
mixture of two or more substances.
• The substance present in a smaller
amount is called the solute, whereas
the substance present in a larger
amount is called the solvent.
• A solution may be gaseous (such as
air), solid (such as an alloy), or liquid
(seawater, for example).
Types of Solutions
• Solutes and solvents may be solids, liquids, or gases.
• The solution that forms has the same physical state as the solvent.
Types of Solutions
• An unsaturated solution contains less solute than it has the capacity to dissolve.
• A saturated solution contains the maximum amount of a solute that will dissolve
in a given solvent at a specific temperature.
• A supersaturated solution contains more solute than is present in a saturated
solution.
A Molecular View of the Solution Process
o When one substance (the solute) dissolves in another (the solvent), particles of
the solute disperse throughout the solvent.
o The solute particles occupy positions that are normally taken by solvent
molecules.
o The ease with which a solute particle replaces a solvent molecule depends on the
relative strengths of three types of interactions:
• solvent-solvent interaction
• solute-solute interaction
• solvent-solute interaction
• For simplicity, we can imagine the solution process taking place in three
distinct steps (Figure 12.2).
• Step 1 is the separation of solvent molecules, and step 2 entails the
separation of solute molecules. These steps require energy input to break
attractive intermolecular forces; therefore, they are endothermic.
• In step 3 the solvent and solute mole. This process can be exothermic or
endothermic.
• The heat of solution ∆Hsoln is given by
Types of Concentration Units
• Percent by Mass
• Mole Fraction
• Molarity (M)
• Molality (m)
Percent by Mass
• The percent by mass (also called percent by weight or weight percent) is
the ratio of the mass of a solute to the mass of the solution, multiplied by
100 percent:
• The percent by mass is a unitless number because it is a ratio of two similar

quantities.
Mole Fraction (X)
• The mole fraction of a component of a solution, say, component A, is
written XA and is defined as :
• The mole fraction is also unitless, because it too is a ratio of two

similar quantities.
Molarity (M)
• Molarity (M) was defined as the number of moles of solute in 1 L of
solution; that is,
• Thus, the units of molarity are mol/L.

Molality (m)
• Molality (m) is the number of moles of solute dissolved in 1 kg (1000
g) of solvent— that is,
Comparison of Concentration Units
• The choice of a concentration unit is based on the purpose of the
experiment.
• the mole fraction appropriate for calculating partial pressures of
gases and for dealing with vapor pressures of solutions.
• The molarity generally to measure the volume of a solution, using
precisely calibrated volumetric flasks, than to weigh the solvent.
The Effect of Temperature on Solubility
• Solubility is defined as the maximum amount of a solute that will
dissolve in a given quantity of solvent at a specific temperature.
• Temperature affects the solubility of most substances.
Solid Solubility
and Temperature
Solid Solubility and Temperature
• In most but certainly not all cases, the solubility of a solid substance
increases with temperature, which means that solutions usually
contain more dissolved solute at higher temperature.
• The dependence of the solubility of a solid on temperature varies
considerably, as Figure 12.3 shows.
• This wide variation provides a means of obtaining pure substances
from mixtures.
• Fractional crystallization is the separation of a mixture of substances
into pure components on the basis of their differing solubilities.
Example
• Suppose we have a sample of 90 g of KNO3 that is contaminated with
10 g of NaCl. To purify the KNO3 sample, we dissolve the mixture in
100 mL of water at 60°C and then gradually cool the solution to 0°C.
At this temperature, the solubilities of KNO3 and NaCl are 12.1 g/100
g H2O and 34.2 g/100 g H2O, respectively. Thus, (90 2 12) g, or 78 g,
of KNO3 will crystallize out of the solution, but all of the NaCl will
remain dissolved (Figure 12.4). In this manner, we can obtain about
90 percent of the original amount of KNO3 in pure form. The KNO3
crystals can be separated from the solution by filtration.
Gas Solubility
and Temperature
Gas Solubility and Temperature
• The solubility of gases in water usually decreases with increasing
temperature (Figure 12.5).
• At higher temperatures, more gas molecules have the energy to
escape from the solution.
• When water is heated in a beaker, you can see bubbles of air forming
on the side of the glass before the water boils. As the temperature
rises, the dissolved air molecules begin to “boil out” of the solution
long before the water itself boils
The Effect of Pressure on the Solubility of Gases
• The quantitative relationship between gas solubility and pressure is
given by Henry’s law, which states that the solubility of a gas in a
liquid is proportional to the pressure of the gas over the solution:
• Here c is the molar concentration (mol/L) of the dissolved gas; P is the
pressure (in atm) of the gas over the solution at equilibrium; and, for
a given gas, k is a constant that depends only on temperature. The
constant k has the units mol/L .atm.
• When the pressure of the gas is 1 atm, c is numerically equal to k. If
several gases are present, P is the partial pressure.
• The amount of gas that will dissolve in a solvent depends on how
frequently the gas molecules collide with the liquid surface and
become trapped by the condensed phase.
• At higher pressures, there are more gas molecules available to enter
and dissolve in the liquid

Physical Properties of Solutions

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Physical Properties of Solutions

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Physical

• The percent by mass is a unitless number because it is a ratio of two similar

• The mole fraction is also unitless, because it too is a ratio of two

• Thus, the units of molarity are mol/L.

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