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13.2: Solubility and Molecular Structure

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    6414
    • Anonymous
    • LibreTexts
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    Learning Objectives
    • To understand the relationship between solubility and molecular structure.

    When a solute dissolves, its individual atoms, molecules, or ions interact with the solvent, become solvated, and are able to diffuse independently throughout the solution (part (a) in Figure 13.4). This is not, however, a unidirectional process. If the molecule or ion happens to collide with the surface of a particle of the undissolved solute, it may adhere to the particle in a process called crystallization. Dissolution and crystallization continue as long as excess solid is present, resulting in a dynamic equilibrium analogous to the equilibrium that maintains the vapor pressure of a liquid. We can represent these opposing processes as follows:

    \[ \text{solute} + \text{solvent} \ce{<=>[\ce{crystallization}][\ce{dissolution}]} \text{solution} \tag{13.4} \]

    Although the terms precipitation and crystallization are both used to describe the separation of solid solute from a solution, crystallization refers to the formation of a solid with a well-defined crystalline structure, whereas precipitation refers to the formation of any solid phase, often one with very small particles.

    45b1d9d593a104eefb5baeeddb11e407.jpg
    Figure 13.4 Dissolution and Precipitation. (a) When a solid is added to a solvent in which it is soluble, solute particles leave the surface of the solid and become solvated by the solvent, initially forming an unsaturated solution. (b) When the maximum possible amount of solute has dissolved, the solution becomes saturated. If excess solute is present, the rate at which solute particles leave the surface of the solid equals the rate at which they return to the surface of the solid. (c) A supersaturated solution can usually be formed from a saturated solution by filtering off the excess solute and lowering the temperature. (d) When a seed crystal of the solute is added to a supersaturated solution, solute particles leave the solution and form a crystalline precipitate.

    Contributors and Attributions

    • Anonymous


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