Chemistry: Solutions Flashcards
Solutions
Homogenous mixtures of substances that combine to form a single phase, generally the liquid phase. Many important chemical reactions, both in the lab and in nature, take place in solution (including almost all reactions in living organisms).
Solvent
Component of the solution whose phase remains the same after mixing. If the solute and solvent are already in the same phase, the solvent is the component present in greater quantity.
Solvation
The interaction between solute and solvent molecules. Also known as dissolution. Solvation is possible when the attractive forces between solute and solvent are stronger than those between the solute particles. For nonionic solutes, solvation involves van der Waals forces between the solute and solvent molecules. The general rule is that like dissolves like: ionic and polar solutes are soluble in polar solvents, and nonpolar solutes are soluble in nonpolar solvents.
Hydration
When water is the solvent. Resulting solution is known as an aqueous solution.
Solubility
Solubility of a substance is the max amount of that substance that can be dissolved in a particular solvent at a particular temperature.
Saturated
When the maximum amount of solute has been added, the solution is in equilibrium and is said to be saturated; if more solute is added, it will not dissolve.
Dilute
A solution in which the proportion of solute to solvent is small.
Concentrated
A solution in which the proportion of solute to solvent is large.
Crystallization
When a dissolved solute comes out of solution and forms crystals.
Supersaturated Solutions
Solutions that contain more solute than found in a saturated solution. In a supersaturated solution, the addition of more solute will cause the excess solute in the supersaturated solution to separate, and a saturated solution will subsequently form.
Aqueous Solutions
Most common class of solutions, in which the solvent is water. In discussing chemistry of aqueous solutions, its useful to know how soluble various salts are in water.
Solubility Rules: Alkali Metals
All salts of alkali metals are water soluble.
Solubility Rules: Ammonium Ion
All salts of the ammonium ion (NH4+) are water soluble.
Solubility Rules: Chlorides, Bromides, and Iodides
All chlorides, bromides, and iodides are water soluble, with the exceptions of Ag+, Pb+2, and Hg2+2.
Solubility Rules: Sulfate Ion
All salts of the sulfate ion (SO4-2) are water soluble, with the exceptions of Ca+2, Sr+2, Ba+2, and Pb+2.
Solubility Rules: Metal Oxides
All metal oxides are insoluble, with the exception of the alkali metals and CaO, SrO, and BaO, all of which hydrolyze to form solutions of the corresponding metal hydroxides.
Solubility Rules: Hydroxides
All hydroxides are insoluble, with the exception of the alkali metals and Ca+2, Sr+2, and Ba+2.
Solubility Rules: Carbonates, Phosphates, Sulfides, Sulfites
All carbonates (CO3-2), phosphates (PO4-3), sulfides (S-2), and solfites (SO3-2) are insoluble, with the exception of the alkali metals and ammonium.
Nomenclature of Ionic Compounds: Multiple Positive Ions
For elements (usually metals) that can form more than one positive ion, the charge is indicated by a Roman numeral in parentheses following the name of the element.
- Fe+2 Iron (II)
- Fe+3 Iron (III)
An older but still commonly used method is to add the ending -ous or -ic to the root of the Latin name of the element to represent the ions with lesser or greater charge, respectively.
- Fe+2 Ferrous
- Fe+3 Ferric
- Cu+ Cuprous
- Cu+2 Cupric
Nomenclature of Ionic Compounds: Monoatomic Anions
Monatomic anions are named by dropping the ending of the name of the element and adding -ide.
- H- Hydride
- F- Fluoride
- O-2 Oxide
Nomenclature of Ionic Compounds: Multiple H+ Ions
Polyatomic anions often gain one or more H+ ions to form anions of lower charge. The resulting ions are named by adding the word hydrogen or dihydrogen to the front of the anion’s name. An older method uses the prefix bu- to indicate the addition of a single hydrogen ion.
- HCO3- Hydrogen carbonate or bicarbonate
- HSO4- Hydrogen sulfate or bisulfate
- H2PO4- Dihydrogen phosphate
Oxyanions
Many polyatomic anions contain oxygen and are therefore called oxyanions.
When an element forms two oxyanions, the name of the one with less oxygen ends in -ite and the one with more oxygen ends in -ate.
- NO-2 Nitrite
- NO-3 Nitrate
- SO3-2 Sulfite
- SO4-2 Sulfate
When the series of oxyanions contains four oxyanions, prefixes are also used. Hypo- and per- are used to indicate less oxygen and more oxygen, respectively.
- ClO- Hypochlorite
- ClO2- Chlorite
- ClO3- Chlorate
- ClO4- Perchlorate
Electrolytes
The electrical conductivity of aqueous solutions is governed by the presence and concentration of ions in solution. Therefore, pure water doesn’t conduct an electrical current well since the concentrations of hydrogen and hydroxide ions are very small.
Solutes whose solutions are conductive are called electrolytes.
Strong Elecrolyte
Strong electrolytes include ionic compounds, such as NaCl and KI, and molecular compounds with high polarity covalent bonds that dissociate into ions when dissolved, such as HCl in water.