How much will go in
Add salt to a glass of water, one spoon at a time. Stir each time. Where does it stop?
Step 1 of 3
- One spoon dissolves.
- In this glass, six spoons all dissolve.
- The seventh stays at the bottom.
Dissolving stops at a limit. At this temperature, the water cannot hold more salt.
New word
- Solubility — the most solute a solvent can hold at one temperature.
The rule
At one temperature, a solvent has a limit. A fixed amount dissolves only so much solute. This maximum is its solubility. Any extra solute stays undissolved.
Twice the water takes twice the solute at the same temperature. The limit of six spoons here is a made-up number.
Watch out!
Stirring does not raise the limit. It only makes the solute dissolve faster.
Add spoons. Watch for the pile.
Loading lab…