Solutions, Suspensions

Colloids
Solutions
 Appears to be a single substance but
really two or more substances dissolved
in a solvent and evenly distributed
 Very small particles that never settle
out
 Homogeneous
Examples of Solutions
 Alloys – solid solutions of metals or
non-metals dissolved in metals
 Iced tea, salt water, soda, gasoline
Solute versus Solvent
 A solute is the substance in a solution that
gets dissolved
 A solvent is the substance in a solution that
does the dissolving
 If something is soluble, the solute can be
dissolved in a particular solvent
 If something is insoluble, the solute will not
be dissolved in a particular solvent
 Solutes can be soluble in some solvents but
insoluble in others
Concentration
 The comparison of solute to solvent
 When there is not a lot of solute
compared to solvent, the solution is
dilute
 When there is a lot of solute compared
to solvent, the solution is concentrated
Saturated Solutions
 Saturated solution – contains all of the
solute it can hold at a given
temperature.
 If you add even one more molecule of the
solute, it will fall out of solution and rest on
the bottom
Unsaturated Solutions
 Contains less solute than it can hold at
a given temperature
 Can add more solute and it wont fall out of
the solution
Supersaturated Solution
 Solution that holds more than it usually
would at a given temperature
Solubility
 The amount of solute needed to make a
saturated solution in a given solvent at a
given temperature
 For solid solute in liquid solvent – solubility
rises as temperature rises.
 For gas solute in a liquid solvent – solubility
lowers as temperature rises
ex – soda goes flat at warm temperatures
Methods to speed up
dissolving
 Crushing a solute increases the surface area of the
solute allowing more solvent to surround it thus
dissolving it faster
 Ex. Putting butter in macaroni and cheese

 Heating a solution increases the energy of the

molecules making them move more quickly thus
spreading the solute throughout the solvent and
speeding up the rate at which the solute dissolves
 Ex- cooking iced tea

 Mixing has the same effect as heating does

 Ex- making chocolate milk
Suspensions
 A suspension is a mixture in which
particles of material are dispersed
throughout a liquid or gas and are large
enough to settle out
 The particles are insoluble
 Heterogeneous mixtures
 Ex snow globe
Colloids
 Have properties of both solutions and suspensions
 Particles in a colloid are much smaller than particles
in a suspension
 Colloids have the same definition as suspensions in
that a colloid is a mixture in which particles of
material are dispersed throughout a liquid or gas, but
the particles of a colloid are not large enough to
settle out
 Particles in a colloid scatter light
 Ex milk, fog, jello
Gels, Sols, Foams and
Emulsions