Question

What is dissolution and how does this result in weathering?

Answer 1

Hint The other name for the term dissolution is ‘solubility’ and therefore define dissolution based on this term whereas weathering is the term used for the breaking or dissolving of rocks and this concept leads to the correct answer.

Complete step – by – step answer:
From the classes of basic concepts in general chemistry, we have studied about the mixing of the solution and also about the changes in nature day by day.’
Let us see what does it mean by dissolution and how can it result in weathering.
- Dissolution is defined as the process in which a solute in gaseous, liquid or solid phase dissolves in a solvent to form a solution.
- Factors like concentration of the solute, temperature of the system, pressure and also polarity of the solute and solvent affects the dissolution process.
- Weathering is defined as the breaking down or dissolving of rocks and minerals on Earth’s surface and this process results in the erosion of rocks.
- When these rocks are exposed to an external environment, the minerals in them undergo attack by chemical dissolution of soluble minerals.
-The example is effect of rain water which is acidified when carbon dioxide present in atmosphere is dissolved in it and after when it falls on the calcareous rocks, the main component in it that is $CaC{{O}_{3}}$ gets transformed into calcium bicarbonate that is $Ca{{(HC{{O}_{3}})}_{2}}$ which is soluble in water.
- Thus, this component is removed from the rock and therefore results in the erosion that is weathering of the rocks.

Note: Note that there are numerous minerals which can be dissolved by several chemical agents. That occurs in nature naturally, which further leads to the progressive erosion of the landscape and this affects the balance of nature.