Introduction
Saturation, any of several physical or chemical conditions defined by the existence of an equilibrium between pairs of opposing forces or of an exact balance of the rates of opposing processes.
Common Saturated Solution examples include the condition of a solution left in contact with the pure undissolved solvent until there is no further change in solution concentration, and the state of a vapour equally left in contact with the substance's pure solid or liquid form.
The water is saturated in the first case, when the rate at which the pure substance dissolves to join the solution in the solvent is precisely equal to the rate at which the dissolved substance exits the solution (e.g. by crystallising).
The rate at which the completely condensed (liquid or solid) substance vaporises in the second example is exactly the rate at which the vapour condenses.
A Saturated Solution or vapour contains the greatest concentration of a dissolved or vaporised substance that can be obtained under specified pressure and temperature conditions. While supersaturation (a condition in which concentration reaches the equilibrium value) can be brought on in certain situations, these solutions or vapours are unstable and spontaneously return to the Saturated state.
Factors Affecting Saturated Solution:
The amount of solute that can be dissolved to form a Saturated Solution in a solvent depends on a variety of factors. The most prominent considerations are:
Temperature: With temperature, the solubility decreases. For example, salt can be dissolved in hot water much more than in cold water.
Pressure: Increasing pressure in solution can force more solute. This is widely used to remove liquid gases.
Chemical Composition: Solubility affects the nature of the solute and solvent and the involvement of other contaminants in a solution. For instance, in water, you can dissolve much more sugar than salt. Ethanol and water are mutually completely soluble.
Types of Saturation:
When solid solute (substance or particles) and liquid solvent are mixed, the only possible reactions are dissolution and crystallisation.
There are three types of saturation. They are:
Saturated Solution: It is a solution where the maximum amount of solute is, so much so that if there was any more, it would not dissolve.
Unsaturated Solution: It is a solution where the solute concentration is lesser than its corresponding equilibrium solubility. This means that the amount of solute is in lesser amounts than the maximum value until the solution reaches its saturation level.
Supersaturated Solution: It contains more dissolved solute than required for making a Saturated solution. It is formed by heating a Saturated solution, then adding more solute, and then cooling it down. The excess dissolved solute crystallises with the seeding of supersaturated solution with crystals of the solute.
How to Make a Saturated Solution
There's more than one way to make the Saturated Solution. You may be able to prepare it from scratch, saturate an unsaturated solution, or cause a supersaturated solution to remove any product.
Until it stops dissolving, add solute to the liquid.
Evaporate the solvent until it becomes saturated from the solution. Once the solution begins to crystallise or precipitate it will saturate the solution.
Add a seed crystal to a super - Saturated Solution so that extra solvent will grow onto the crystal, leaving the solution Saturated.
Examples of Saturated Solutions
Soda is a source containing soluble carbon dioxide in water. Therefore carbon dioxide gas produces bubbles when the pressure is released.
Adding chocolate powder to milk produces a Saturated Solution so it prevents dissolving.
When molten butter or oil, salt can be applied to the stage where the salt grains avoid dissolving and create a Saturated Solution.
A Saturated Solution can be produced if you give sufficient sugar to your coffee or tea. You'll know when the sugar starts dissolving, you've reached the saturation point. Hot tea or coffee helps you absorb a lot more sugar than you can add to a cold drink.
To form a Saturated Solution, sugar can be applied to the vinegar.
Therefore, these are everyday examples of Saturated Solutions.
FAQs on Saturated Solution
1. What is a Saturated Solution Example?
Soda is a paste in water that contains condensed carbon dioxide. Adding chocolate powder to milk produces a saturated solution so it avoids dissolution. Salt may be applied to melting butter or oil to the extent that the salt grains resist dissolving, creating a saturated solution.
2. What are Saturated and Unsaturated Solutions?
The solution is said to be saturated when the solvent saturation point is reached and no more solute dissolves. An unsaturated solution is a solution that includes less than the full dissolvable amount of solute.
3. What are the 3 Types of Solutions?
There are three types of solutions that can take place depending on the concentration of solute: isotonic, hypotonic, and hypertonic.
4. What Happens when a Saturated Solution is Heated?
If a saturated solution is heated, it becomes unsaturated as solubility on heating increases.
5. What are examples of Saturated Solutions?
Here are some examples of saturated solutions in everyday life:
Adding chocolate powder to milk creates a saturated solution so it avoids dissolution.
Salt added to melting butter or oil to the extent that the salt grains resist dissolving creates a saturated solution.
Adding sugar to tea or coffee to a point that the beverage gets saturated.
Aerated beverages have water as the solvent, and carbon is added as a solute until the point of saturation is reached.
Cooking recipes that require dissolving salt, sugar and other ingredients into the water.
When pancake syrup is saturated, all the additional sugar ends up at the bottom of the bottle.
When sugar is added to vinegar we get a saturated solution.
Mixing powdered soap with water until it will no longer dissolve creates a saturated solution.
Here are some examples of saturated solutions in nature:
Soil - The soil on the surface of the earth is saturated with nitrogen. The excess nitrogen is let out into the air in the form of gas after it reaches a saturation point.
Seawater - Since it is already saturated with salt, adding more salt forms solid salt crystals instead of dissolving.
Freshwater - Metals and many other elements, including potassium, can saturate freshwater.
Air - The air we breathe is saturated with moisture. When there is excess moisture, it turns into dew or mist.
6. What is an unsaturated solution?
An unsaturated solution is a chemical solution that has a solute concentration lesser than its corresponding equilibrium solubility. So, the amount of solute is contained in lesser amounts than the maximum value, before the solution reaches the saturation level. In this case, no substances are left at the bottom and all the solute is dissolved in the solvent. Salt or sugar dissolved in the water below the saturation point, air and iced coffee are examples of unsaturated solutions.
7. How to form an unsaturated solution?
A solution comprises two kinds of particles - solutes and solvents. The formation of an unsaturated solution involves the addition of a solute to a solvent. When the solute dissolves in the solvent and makes a uniform solution, it is called an unsaturated solution.
In most cases, water is used as a solvent.
Unsaturated solutions have the capacity to dissolve more solute in them until they reach the saturation point. Once the saturation point is reached, solutes will no longer get dissolved in the solvent. When this point is reached, we get an unsaturated solution.
This is why all the solutions are said to be unsaturated in nature before a solute is added to them to convert them into a saturated solution.
The concentration of solute is much lower than its solubility equilibrium when it comes to unsaturated solutions. Each solute has its own limit with respect to a specific solvent.
In gaseous solutions, the solvent is a gas and the solute can either be a solid, liquid or gas.
Here are some examples of unsaturated solutions:
Salt or sugar dissolved in water is an unsaturated solution if the quantity of dissolved salt/sugar is below the saturation point.
Iced coffee is also an unsaturated solution.
Tea and sugar are also unsaturated solutions because they dissolve more amount of sugar in them.
Air, smoke and mist.