A glass at its limit
A glass stops taking sugar. A pile sits at the bottom. What is this glass called?
Step 1 of 3
- This glass can still take more.
- Now it is full. The extra sugar settles.
- Cool it and more sugar comes out.
This glass is a saturated solution. It cannot take more sugar at this temperature.
New words
- Saturated — cannot dissolve any more at that temperature.
- Unsaturated — can still dissolve more.
The rule
A saturated solution holds all the solute it can at that temperature. An unsaturated solution can still dissolve more. Cooling a saturated solution of a solid makes some solute come out.
For most solids, a cooler solution has a lower limit. So solute above the new limit comes out. It forms crystals, small hard pieces of solid.
Warm a saturated solution and the pile can dissolve.
Slide the temperature down. Watch the crystals.
Loading lab…