Chemical Forums

Chemistry Forums for Students => High School Chemistry Forum => Topic started by: Nitram2004 on September 17, 2020, 03:02:14 AM

Title: why can't water dissolve more NaCl after a certain point?
Post by: Nitram2004 on September 17, 2020, 03:02:14 AM

i am wondering why water after a cirten point cant deissolve NaCl

Title: Re: why can't water dissolve more NaCl after a certain point?
Post by: sjb on September 17, 2020, 04:10:29 AM

At a simple level, consider filling a jar with marbles. Why can't you fit any more in after a while?

Title: Re: why can't water dissolve more NaCl after a certain point?
Post by: Meter on September 18, 2020, 05:11:16 AM

There is probably some really good p-chem explanation for this, but the superficial undergraduate explanation is that the solubility product of NaCl in water isn't infinitely high.

Title: Re: why can't water dissolve more NaCl after a certain point?
Post by: Corribus on September 18, 2020, 09:01:23 AM

When you dissolve something in water, what do you suppose happens to the water?

Title: Re: why can't water dissolve more NaCl after a certain point?
Post by: Enthalpy on September 21, 2020, 01:46:17 PM

Dissolution competes with the opposite process, crystallisation. The rate of crystallisation increases with the concentration of solute (here NaCl). At equilibrium, both processes are equally efficient, no net dissolution occurs any more. That's the solubility.