Chemistry

• Solubility is the ability of a substance to dissolve in another and form a solution
• Solvent is the substance that does the dissolving
• Solute is the substance that gets dissolved
• Water is a polar molecule that can dissolve other polar substances such as ions and other polar molecules
• Water is often referred to as a universal solvent because it can dissolve many different things
• When dissolving salt in water, the water molecules pull the sodium and chloride ions off, forming a perfectly mixed solution
• If individual molecules or ions are not surrounded by water when a substance dissolves, it may just form a suspension or a colloid
• Oil is not soluble in water because it lacks positive or negative charges for water molecules to interact with
• A precipitation reaction is when two aqueous solutions are mixed together to form a solid
• The solid formed in a precipitation reaction typically looks like a cloud between the two solutions
• Some reactants may find each other attractive and form solids with a tight bond between them, separating out of the water
• The solid formed in a precipitation reaction is called a precipitate
• In a precipitation reaction, the starting solutions are usually completely transparent
• The precipitate formed in a precipitation reaction can settle down towards the bottom over time
• Transition metals like iron, copper, and zinc can lead to colorful precipitates in reactions