Solutions & Concentration
Mixtures that are NOT Solutions: Suspensions: mixtures that slowly settle upon standing. Example: sand in water Can be separated by filtering Suspensions exhibit the Tyndall effect - the scattering of visible light in all directions. Colloids: heterogeneous mixtures with particles between the size of suspensions and true solutions
Many colloids are cloudy or milky in appearance when concentrated, but almost clear when dilute They do not settle out They cannot be filtered out Colloids also show the Tyndall effect
Should you drive in fog with your high beams on? Why? The Tyndall Effect You can see the light beam because the large particles reflect the light Here you cannot see the light beam; particles are too small to reflect light Colloids and suspensions scatter light, making a beam visible, due to their large particle size. Solutions do not scatter light, because of their small particle size. colloid solution Should you drive in fog with your high beams on? Why?
Note that you can easily see the “sunbeams”, probably due to the presence of fog (a colloid) in the forest reflecting light
Solvation… Solution - homogeneous mixture Solute - substance being dissolved Solvent - present in greater amount
NaCl(s) Na+(aq) + Cl–(aq) Solvation (cont’d)… Dissociation separation of an ionic solid (has charged particles) into aqueous ions NaCl(s) Na+(aq) + Cl–(aq)
HNO3(aq) + H2O(l) H3O+(aq) + NO3–(aq) Ionization breaking apart of some polar molecules into aqueous ions HNO3(aq) + H2O(l) H3O+(aq) + NO3–(aq)
Molecular Solvation molecules stay intact C6H12O6(s) C6H12O6(aq)
Concentration of Solutions The amount of solute in a solution. Describing Concentration % by mass - medicated creams % by volume - rubbing alcohol ppm, ppb - water contaminants molarity - used by chemists (moles of solute per liter of solvent) molality - used by chemists (moles of solute per kg of solvent)
A concentrated solution has a large amount of solute. A dilute solution has a small amount of solute.
Concentrated vs. Dilute Lots of solute, but little solvent Lots of solvent, but little solute
Concentration is usually a qualitative description…if numbers are used, it then becomes a quantitative description. Molarity (M) is a unit of concentration that we will eventually learn more about (it is the most widely used unit of concentration in chemistry)!
LecturePLUS Timberlake Molarity (M) A concentration that expresses the moles of solute in 1 L of solution Molarity (M) = moles of solute 1 liter solution LecturePLUS Timberlake