Saturated or not
There is a limit to dissolving.
Keep adding salt
You add salt to water a spoon at a time, stirring each time.
What happens after many spoons?
What this lesson covers
The idea
A solution in which more solute can still dissolve at a given temperature is unsaturated; when no more solute dissolves and the extra settles at the bottom, it is saturated at that temperature.
Keep adding salt
You add salt to water a spoon at a time, stirring each time.
What happens after many spoons?
- Some salt stops dissolving and settles
- All of it always dissolves
- The water turns into salt
Add the salt
Press Next step to add more.
Limit of dissolving
A solution in which more solute can still dissolve at a given temperature is unsaturated. When the solute stops dissolving and begins to settle at the bottom, the solution is saturated at that temperature.
Unsaturated: more solute can dissolve at that temperature. Saturated: no more dissolves; the extra solute settles at the bottom.
Notes
Saturated: no more solute dissolves. Unsaturated: more can dissolve.
Check yourself
In a saturated solution, extra solute …
A solution in which more solute can still dissolve is …
A solution is called saturated 'at that particular temperature' because …
Undissolved salt is seen at the bottom of the vessel. The solution is …
- settles at the bottom — correct. Yes!
- dissolves faster. In a saturated solution no more solute dissolves.
- turns into water. It settles at the bottom.
- saturated. In a saturated solution, no more dissolves.
- unsaturated — correct. Yes!
- a mixture of gases. It is an unsaturated solution.
- it is always the same at all temperatures. The amount that dissolves can change with temperature, so we say at that temperature.
- it needs no solvent. A saturated solution has a solvent too.
- the limit can change with temperature — correct. Yes!
- saturated — correct. Yes!
- unsaturated. Undissolved salt at the bottom shows no more can dissolve.
- empty. The solution is saturated.