Chemistry 30

Solutions and Solubility

Solutions play a very important role in many biological, laboratory, and industrial applications of chemistry. Of particular importance are solutions involving substances dissolved in water, or aqueous solutions. Solutions represent equilibrium systems, and the lessons learned in our last unit will be of particular importance again. Quantitative measurements of solutions are another key component of this unit.

Solutions can involve all physical states - gases dissolved in gases (the air around us), solids dissolved in solids (metal alloys), liquids dissolved in solids (amalgams - liquid mercury dissolved in another metal such as silver, tin or copper). In this unit we will almost exclusively be concerned with aqueous solutions - substances dissolved in water.

Lesson

Topic

Introduction to Solutions

1.1 Terms to Know
1.2 General Guidelines Concerning Solubility
1.3 Factors Affecting Solubility

Measuring Solution Concentration

2.1 Dilute & Concentrated Solutions
2.2 Molarity
2.3 Other Measures of Concentration
2.4 Dilutions of Standard Solutions
2.5 The Concentration of Ions in Solutions

Solubility

3.1 Solubility Curves
3.2 Solubility Tables & the Solubility of Ionic Compounds
3.3 The Solubility Product Constant, K_sp
3.4 Precipitation Reactions
3.5 The Common Ion Effect