KEVIN NGO DERIVING A SOLUBILITY CURVE Aim: To plot the solubility curve of potassium nitrate on the basis of experimental

data. Materials: Refer to sheet Method: Refer to sheet Discussion:

1A. The solubility of potassium nitrate at 50C is 52g/100g of water. 1B. The temperature at which the solubility of potassium nitrate is 80g/100g of water is 60C 1C. The maximum amount of potassium nitrate that would dissolve in 100g of water at 60C is 80g 1D. The temperature to which 20g of potassium nitrate in 25g of water needs to be heated in order to completely dissolve is 60C. 1E. The mass of potassium nitrate that would crystallise out of a saturated solution containing 100g at 90C if the solution were cooled down to 30C would be 164g 2. Reasons for possible errors in the above calculations: It is difficult to identify the exact crystallisation point Measurement of water or potassium nitrate is inaccurate Recordings of temperature may not be accurate 3.

Conclusion: By following the method above, it is easy to find out the solubility of potassium nitrate as well as many other substances in water. The observations found during the experiment were used to construct a graph which could be used to determine the solubility of that substance at any particular temperature or weight of solute.