Solubility

Solubility

1. It's the ability to dissolve something into another substance. In other words, to become part of it.

   • *Solute: What is dissolved *Solvent: Substance in which the solute is dissolved
   • An example of this property is sugar dissolving in water. In this case, sugar is the solute, and water is the solvent.
     • .
   • Polar and Non-Polar molecules
     • Polar molecules dissolve in polar solvents (e.g. water), and non-polar molecules dissolve in non-polar solvents (e.g. oil).
       • Substances that dissolve in water (sugar, salt, etc.) are called hydrophilic. They're polar, and their polarity is stronger than the cohesive forces of water.
       • When a molecule can't break the cohesive forces of water, it's a hydrophobic substance. Because of this, they don't dissolve, and are pushed out of the water. These are non-polar.
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   • Relationship with Intermolecular Forces
     • Polar molecules = soluble in polar solvents: Dipole-dipole attraction between polar solute and polar solvent.
     • Non-polar molecules = soluble in non-polar solvents: London dispersion attraction betwen non-polar solute and non-polar solvent
     • Polar molecules and non-polar molecules don't mix.
   • Importance
     • It has many applications in our everyday life, which include: purifying water, making drinks, and vitamin storage. Without purifying water we would never be able to drink it because it can be mixed with dirt, salt, and other substances that aren't healthy to drink.

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