Solubility, Henry’s Law, and Supersaturated Solutions

All flashcards

Dilute and concentrated solutions

Terms describing relative solute amounts; neither term indicates whether a solution has reached its solubility limit.

Henry’s law

For many gases at fixed temperature, dissolved concentration is proportional to the gas’s partial pressure: $C_g = kP_g$.

Henry’s law constant

The proportionality constant in Henry’s law; its value depends on the gas, solvent, and temperature.

Gas–solvent attractions

Favorable interactions between gas particles and solvent molecules tend to increase gas solubility.

Seed crystal

A crystal that provides a surface on which dissolved particles can begin arranging into a crystal lattice.

Quiz questions

1. For many gases at a fixed temperature, which equation expresses the relationship between dissolved concentration and gas partial pressure?Answer: $C_g = kP_g$
2. Which factors determine the value of the Henry’s law constant for a gas dissolved in a liquid?Answer: The identities of the gas and solvent, and the temperature.
3. What typically happens to the solubility of a gas in a liquid as temperature increases?Answer: It decreases.
4. Why can ammonia’s solubility in water depart from the simple Henry’s law prediction?Answer: Ammonia reacts with water to form ions.
5. Why does dissolved carbon dioxide escape from a carbonated drink after its container is opened?Answer: The carbon dioxide pressure above the liquid falls, lowering its equilibrium concentration.