SPECIALIZATION: PHYSICAL SCIENCES

Focus: Solutions
By: Prof. Ruel A. Avilla
________________________________________________________________________________________________
_

SPECIALIZATION: PHYSICAL SCIENCES

Focus: Solutions
By: Prof. Ruel A. Avilla

Competencies:
1. Identify factors that affect the degree of solubility and rate of solubility.
2. Give the importance of electrolytes in living systems.
3. Express solution concentration in percent by mass, mole fraction, molarity and
normality.
4. Give some uses of colloids in food preparation, industry and in pharmaceutical
products.

PART I – CONTENT UPDATE

Mixtures are physically combined with two or more components. They are categorized
into homogeneous and heterogeneous mixtures. Solutions, colloids and suspensions are the
further categories of mixtures.

A solution is a homogeneous mixture composed of two or more substances. In such a

mixture, a solute is the substance that is being dissolved while solvent is the one that dissolved
the solute. Common example is a salt dissolved in water. Gases are also dissolved in liquid, like
carbon dioxide water. Liquids may dissolve in other liquids.

Interactions are involved between the solvent phase and

solute molecules or ions. Gases cannot function as solvents due
to the large distances between the molecules. This is the reason
gases can expand freely and the presence of these interactions is
the reason liquids do not expand.

SOURCE:http://www.chem4kids.com/files/matter_solution.html

 Solutions are distinguished from non-homogeneous mixtures such as colloids and

suspensions.

 Many types of solutions exist, as solids, liquids and gases can be both solvent and
solute, in any combination as shown in Table 1.

Table 1. Some Examples of Solutions

Examples of Solute
solutions Gas Liquid Solid
Oxygen and other gases in Naphthalene slowly
Gas Water vapor in air
nitrogen (air) sublimes in air
Carbon dioxide in water
Ethanol (common Sucrose (table sugar) in
(carbonated water; the visible
alcohol) in water; water; sodium chloride
bubbles, however, are not the
Liquid various hydrocarbons (table salt) in water;
dissolved gas, but only an
in each other gold in mercury,
effervescence; the dissolved gas
(petroleum) forming an amalgam
Solvent itself is not visible in the solution)

Hydrogen dissolves rather well in

Hexane in paraffin Steel, other metal
Solid metals; platinum has been
wax, mercury in gold. alloys
studied as a storage medium.

SOURCE:http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Solution

Saturated Solutions and Solubility

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 As solid solute begins to dissolve in a solvent, the concentration of solute particles in

solution increases, and so do the chances of their colliding with the surface of the solid.
Such collision may result in the solid particle becoming attached to the solid. This
process, which is the opposite of the solution process, is called crystallization. Thus, two
opposing processes occur in a solution in contact with undissolved solute. This is
represented by the equation below:

dissolve
Solute + Solvent solution
crystallize

 When the rates of these opposing processes become equal, no further net increase in
the amount of solute in solution occurs. This balance is an example of dynamic
equilibrium.

 A solution that is in equilibrium with undissolved solute is said to be saturated. Additional

solute will not dissolve if added to a saturated solution.

 A solution is unsaturated if it contains less solute than a saturated solution.

 Under suitable conditions, it is possible to form solutions that contain a greater amount of
solute than that in a saturated solution. Such solutions are called supersaturated
solution.

 The amount of solute needed to form a saturated solution in a given quantity of solvent is
known as solubility. For example, the solubility of NaCl in water at 0 oC is 35.7 g per 100
mL. This is the maximum mount of NaCl that can be dissolved in water to give a stable,
equilibrium solution at that temperature.

Factors Affecting Solubility

 The extent to which one substance dissolves in another depends on the nature of the
solute and solvent, temperature and pressure.

A. Solute- Solvent Interactions

 Polar liquids tend to dissolve readily in polar solvents. For example, acetone, a polar
molecule, mixes in all proportions with water. Pairs of liquids that mix in all proportions
are said to be miscible, and liquids that do not mix are immiscible.

 Hydrogen bonding interactions between solute and solvent may lead to high solubility.
For example, water is completely miscible with ethanol. Ethanol molecules are able to
form hydrogen bonds with water molecules. Because of this ability, the solute-solute,
solvent-solvent and solute-solvent forces are not appreciably different within a mixture of
ethanol and water.

 The number of carbon atoms in an alcohol affects its solubility in water, as shown in Table
2. As the length of the carbon chain increases, the polar OH group becomes an even
smaller part of the molecule and the molecule becomes more like a hydrocarbon. The
solubility of the alcohol decreases correspondingly.

Table 2. Solubilities of Some Alcohols in Water

Solubility in H2O
Alcohol
(mol/100 g H2O at 20oC)
CH3OH (methanol) 
CH3CH2OH (ethanol) 
CH3CH2CH2OH (propanol) 
CH3CH2CH2CH2OH (butanol) 0.11
CH3CH2CH2CH2CH2OH (pentanol) 0.030
CH3CH2CH2CH2CH2CH2OH (hexanol) 0.0058
CH3CH2CH2CH2CH2CH2CH2OH (heptanol) 0.0008

The infinity symbol indicates that the alcohol is completely miscible with water.

 Substances with similar intermolecular attractive forces tend to be soluble in one another.
This generalization is often stated as like dissolves like.

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 Nonpolar substances are soluble in nonpolar solvents; ionic and polar solutes are soluble
in polar solvents.

 Network solids like diamond and quartz are not soluble in either polar or nonpolar
solvents because of the strong bonding forces within the solid.

Solubility Rules

1. All common compounds of Group I and ammonium ions are soluble.

2. All nitrates, acetates, and chlorates are soluble.
3. All binary compounds of the halogens (other than F) with metals are soluble, except
those of Ag, Hg(I), and Pb. Pb halides are soluble in hot water.)
4. All sulfates are soluble, except those of barium, strontium, calcium, lead, silver, and
mercury (I). The latter three are slightly soluble.
5. Except for rule 1, carbonates, hydroxides, oxides, silicates, and phosphates are
insoluble.
6. Sulfides are insoluble except for calcium, barium, strontium, magnesium, sodium,
potassium, and ammonium.

B. Temperature Effects

 The solubility of most solid solutes in water increases as the temperature of the solution
increases as shown in Figure 1. There are few exceptions to this rule, as is evident in the
curve for Ce2 (SO4)3.

SOURCE: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:SolubilityVsTemperature.png

Figure 1. Solubility of solids as a function of temperature

 In contrast to solid solutes, the solubility of gases in water decreases with increasing
temperature as shown in Figure 2.


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SOURCE:http://www.elmhurst.edu/~chm/vchembook/174temppres.html

Figure 2. Solubility of gases as a function of temperature

 Henry's law is used to quantify the solubility of gases in solvents. The solubility of a gas in
a solvent is directly proportional to the partial pressure of that gas above the solvent. This
relationship is written as:
C = kP

where k is a temperature-dependent constant (for example, 769.2 L•atm/mol for oxygen

(O2) in water at 298 K), P is the partial pressure (atm), and C is the solubility of the gas
usually expressed as the concentration of the dissolved gas in the liquid (mol/L).

C. Pressure Effects

 The solubilities of solids and liquids are not appreciably affected by pressure.

 The solubility of a gas in any solvent is increased as the pressure of the gas over the
solvent increases as shown in Figure 3.

 Carbonated beverages provide the best example of this phenomenon. All carbonated
beverages are bottled under pressure to increase the carbon dioxide dissolved in
solution. When the bottle is opened, the pressure above the solution decreases. As a
result, the solution effervesces and some of the carbon dioxide bubbles off.

 Deep sea divers may experience a condition called the "bends" if they do not readjust
slowly to the lower pressure at the surface. As a result of breathing compressed air and
being subjected to high pressures caused by water depth, the amount of nitrogen
dissolved in blood and other tissues increases. If the diver returns to the surface too
rapidly, the nitrogen forms bubbles in the blood as it becomes less soluble due to a
decrease in pressure. The nitrogen bubbles can cause great pain and possibly death

SOURCE:http://www.elmhurst.edu/~chm/vchembook/174temppres.html

Figure 3. Solubility of a gas as a function of pressure

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Ways of Expressing Concentration

 The concentration of a solution can be expressed qualitatively and quantitatively. The

terms dilute and concentrated solutions are used to describe the solutions qualitatively.
Dilute solution refers to solution with relatively small concentration while concentrated
solution refers to solution with a large concentration.

 The following are quantitative ways of expressing concentration of a solution:

A. Mass Percentage

 Use the following equation to calculate percent by mass:

B. Molarity

 Molarity tells the number of moles of solute in a liter of a solution. (Note that mola rity is
spelled with an "r" and is represented by a capital M).

 To calculate molarity we use the equation:

C. Molality

 Molality refers to the number of moles of solute dissolved in exactly one kilogram of
solvent. (Note that molality is spelled with two "l"'s and represented by a lower case m.)

 To calculate molality we use the equation:

D. Mole Fraction

 The mole fraction, X, of a component in a solution is the ratio of the number of moles of
that component to the total number of moles of all components in the solution.

 To calculate mole fraction, it is important to know:

The number of moles of each component present in the solution.

The mole fraction of A, XA, in a solution consisting of A, B, C ... is calculated using the
equation:

 To calculate the mole fraction of B, XB, use:

E. Normality

 Normality, N, is similar to molarity. Both express moles of solute per liter of solution.
However, normality is based on the number of moles of the active part of the solute,
called a chemical equivalent. For an acid, the chemical equivalent is the number of
moles of H+1 ion while in a base; the chemical equivalent is the number of moles of OH -
ions. For an oxidation-reduction solution, the chemical equivalent is the number of moles
of electrons transferred

F. Parts per Million and Parts per Billion

 To express a very dilute concentration of a substance, parts per million (ppm) and parts
per billion (ppb) are used. Parts per million means out of a million wherein one ppm is
equivalent to 1 milligram liter of water (mg/L) or 1 milligram per kilogram of solid (mg/kg).

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Usually, this is used to determine the concentration of contaminants present in water and
soil.
 Parts per billion means out of a billion wherein one ppb is equal to 1 microgram of per
liter of water (µg/L) or 1 microgram per kilogram of solid (µg/kg). Usually, parts per billion
is used to describe the concentration of contaminants in soil, water and even in air.

Table 3. Temperature dependence of several concentration expressions.

Temperature Dependence of Several Concentration Expressions

Concentration expression measurements required temperature dependent

Percent composition mass of solute No

(by mass) mass of solution (mass does not change with
temperature)

Molarity moles of solute Yes

volume of solution (volume changes with
temperature)

Molality moles of solute No

mass of solvent (neither mass nor moles
changes with temperature)

mole fraction Moles of solute No

moles of solvent (moles does not change with
temperature
SOURCE:http://www.chem.purdue.edu/gchelp/solutions/character.html

Osmosis and Solution

 A cell placed in an isotonic solution. The net movement of water in and out of the cell is
zero because the concentration of solutes inside and outside the cell is the same.

 In a hypertonic solution, the concentration of solutes outside the cell is greater than that
inside. There is a net flow of water out of the cell, causing the cell to dehydrate, shrink,
and perhaps die.

 In a hypotonic solution, the concentration of solutes outside of the cell is less than that
inside. There is a net flow of water into the cell, causing the cell to swell and perhaps to
burst.

Electrolytes

 Electrolytes are substances present in a solution as ions. They are found in the human
body, and essential for normal function of our cells and organs.

 Some examples are sodium, potassium, chloride, and bicarbonate. The functions and
normal range values for these electrolytes are described below.

Sodium

 Sodium is the major positive ion in fluid outside of cells. Excess sodium, such as those
obtained from dietary sources, is excreted in the urine. Sodium regulates the total amount
of water in the body and the transmission of sodium into and out of individual cells also
plays a role in critical body functions.
 Many processes in the body require electrical signals for communication. The movement
of sodium is critical in generation of these electrical signals. Too much or too little sodium
therefore can cause cells to malfunction, and extremes in the blood sodium levels (too
much or too little) can be fatal.

 Excess sodium in relation to water results to hypernatremia in the blood. There are
numerous causes of hypernatremia; these may include kidney disease, too little water
intake, and loss of water due to diarrhea and/or vomiting.
 A relative increase in the amount of body water relative to sodium results to decreased
concentration of sodium known as hyponatremia. This happens with some diseases of

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the liver and kidney, in patients with congestive heart failure, in burn victims, and in
numerous other conditions.
 Normally, blood sodium level is 135 - 145 milliEquivalents/liter (mEq/L), or in international
units, 135 - 145 millimoles/liter (mmol/L).

Potassium

 Potassium is the major positive ion (cation) found inside of cells. Two of the many
functions of potassium in the body are regulation of the heartbeat and the function of the
muscles. A seriously abnormal increase in potassium (hyperkalemia) or decrease in
potassium (hypokalemia) can profoundly affect the nervous system and increases the
chance of irregular heartbeats (arrhythmias), which, when extreme, can be fatal.

← Increased potassium is known as hyperkalemia. Potassium is normally excreted by

the kidneys, so disorders that decrease the function of the kidneys can result in
hyperkalemia. Certain medications may also predispose an individual to hyperkalemia.
← Hypokalemia, or decreased potassium, can arise due to kidney diseases; excessive
loss due to heavy sweating, vomiting, or diarrhea, eating disorders, certain medications,
or other causes.

 The normal blood potassium level is 3.5 - 5.0 milliEquivalents/liter (mEq/L), or in

international units, 3.5 - 5.0 millimoles/liter (mmol/L).

Chloride

 Chloride is the major anion found in the fluid outside of cells and in the blood. Chloride
also plays a role in helping the body maintain a normal balance of fluids.
 The balance of chloride ion (Cl -) is closely regulated by the body. Significant increases or
decreases in chloride can have deleterious or even fatal consequences:

← Increased chloride (hyperchloremia): Elevations in chloride may be seen in diarrhea,

certain kidney diseases, and sometimes in overactivity of the parathyroid glands.

← Decreased chloride (hypochloremia): Chloride is normally lost in the urine, sweat, and
stomach secretions. Excessive loss can occur from heavy sweating, vomiting, and
adrenal gland and kidney disease.

 The normal serum range for chloride is 98 - 108 mmol/L.

Bicarbonate

 The bicarbonate ion acts as a buffer to maintain the normal levels of acidity (pH) in blood
and other fluids in the body. Bicarbonate levels are measured to monitor the acidity of the
blood and body fluids. The acidity is affected by foods or medications that we ingest and
the function of the kidneys and lungs.
 The normal serum range for bicarbonate is 22-30 mmol/L.

Colloids

 A colloid is a heterogeneous mixture that consists of a dispersed phase (solute-like) and

the dispersing medium (solvent-like). The particles of the dispersed substance are only
dispersed in the mixture, unlike in a solution, they are completely dissolved within. This
occurs because the particles in a colloid are larger than in a solution - small enough to be
dispersed evenly and maintain a homogenous appearance, but large enough to scatter
light and not dissolve. Because of this dispersal, some colloids have the appearance of
solutions.
 A colloidal system may be solid, liquid, or gaseous. Some examples are shown in Table
4.

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Table 4. Classifications of Colloids

Dispersed Phase
Medium / Phases Gas Liquid Solid
NONE Liquid Aerosol Solid Aerosol
Gas (All gases are mutually Examples: fog, mist, Examples: smoke, soot,
miscible) clouds air particulates
Foam Emulsion Sol
Liquid Example: whipped Examples: milk, Examples: pigmented
Dispersing cream mayonnaise, hand cream ink, blood
Medium

Solid Foam Gel Solid Sol

Solid Examples: aerogel, Examples: agar, gelatin, Example: cranberry
styrofoam, pumice jelly, silicagel, opal glass

SOURCE:http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Colloid

Colloids in Food Preservation and Industry

 Most colloidal mixtures are edible like mayonnaise, milk and creams in salads.
Foods are preserved to prolong its shelf-life without limiting its quality like fruit
jams and jellies which are best examples of colloidal mixtures.

 There are also some colloidal mixtures that are used for industrial purposes. Gas masks
contain colloidal dispersion to adsorb toxic dusts or fumes. This is due to the adsorptive
property of colloidal particles.

Colloids in biology

 Colloids were thought to be the key to the operation of enzymes; i.e., the addition of small
quantities of an enzyme to a quantity of water would alter the properties of the water so
that it would break down the enzyme's specific substrate, such as a solution of ATPase
breaking down ATP.

 The properties of the water in the solution are not altered, other than the simple osmotic
changes that would be caused by the presence of any solute. In humans, both the thyroid
gland and the intermediate lobe (pars intermedia) of the pituitary gland contain colloid
follicles.

Colloids in the environment

 Colloidal particles also serves as transport vector of diverse contaminants in the surface
water (sea water, lakes, rivers, fresh water bodies) and in underground water circulating
in fissured rocks (limestone, sandstone, granite, ...).
 Radionuclides and heavy metals easily sorb onto colloids suspended in water. Various
types of colloids are recognized: inorganic colloids (clay particles, silicates, iron oxy-
hydroxides ...), organic colloids (humic and fulvic substances). When heavy metals or
radionuclides form their own pure colloids, the term "Eigencolloid" is used to designate
pure phases, e.g., Tc (OH) 4, U (OH) 4, Am (OH) 3.

PART II – ANALYZING TEST ITEMS

1. Soft drinks contain “carbonated water” – water with dissolved carbon dioxide gas. The
drinks are bottled with a CO2 pressure greater than 1 atm. How does the solubility of
carbon dioxide (CO2) in softdrinks vary with temperature?
A Temperature does not affect solubility.
B. The higher the temperature, the greater the solubility of CO 2.
C. The higher the temperature, the lesser the solubility of CO 2.
D. The carbon dioxide is soluble to the same extent at any temperature.

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The solubility of gases decreases at higher temperature. An increase in the kinetic

energy of the gas molecules result to the escape of gas molecules to atmosphere, thus
the correct answer is letter C.

2. Buffer solutions maintain the pH of a human blood. Which of the following performs this
function?
A. Cl- C. K+
-
B. HCO3 D. Na+
- + +
The ions Cl , K and Na are important in the proper functioning inside and outside the
cells while HCO3- is important in maintaining the pH of blood as a buffer. Thus, the
correct answer is letter B.

3.
One way to express the concentration of a solution is molarity. What does a molar salt
solution contain?
A. 1 mole of salt in 1 kg of water C. 1 mole of salt in 1 L of water
B. 1 mole of salt in 1 L of solution D. 1 mole of salt in 1 mole of water

The correct answer is letter B since molarity is mole of solute in a liter of a solution.
Option A is expressed as molality while in option C, the given volume is for the solvent
and not for the solution.

4. A colloidal dispersion of very fine activated carbon powder is used in the sugar refining
industry to remove odor and color from raw sugar. What property of the fine powder
makes it a good adsorbent?
A. its large exposed surface area C. its being lighter than sugar crystals
B. its color D.its being unreactive

The correct answer is letter A. Due to large exposed area, it easily removes the odor and
color from raw sugar. This means that a good adsorbent must have a large surface area
while color and mass are not its main requirements.

5. Suppose the following were dissolved in water:

1 – carbon tetrachloride, CCl4
2 – potassium bromide, KBr
3 – glycerol, C3H (OH)

What will be the correct order of increasing solubility?

A. 1-2-3 C. 3-2-1
B. 2-3-1 D. 1-3-2

6. Acid waste from a factory is suspected to kill the fish in a nearby river. Which of the
following substances might be added to the waste water to prevent this?
A. chlorine C. limewater
B. salt D. sand

7. What is the concentration of the resulting acid solution made by diluting 100 mL of 2.0
molar acid to 1.0 L?
A. 0. 2 M C. 10 M
B. 2.0 M D. 20 M

8. Adding egg yolk to an oil-vinegar mixture in the preparation of mayonnaise stabilizes the
system. What is the function of egg yolk?
A. separates oil and vinegar C. serves as dispersing medium
B. acts as protective colloid D. acts as peptizing agent

9. Which of the following is NOT a property of solutions?

A. It has a definite composition.
B. It consists of a single phase.
C. It has homogeneous composition.
D. it can be physically separated to its component parts

10. Concentration expresses the amount of solute obtained in a given amount of material.
Which of the following is NOT a unit to describe concentration?
A. ppm C. mg/L
B. mmol/mL D. g/mol

11. A liter of salt solution containing 2 moles NaCl is 2 M in concentration. What is the molar
concentration of a 5 liter salt solution containing 10 moles of NaCl?

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A. 3 mol/L or 3M C. 2 mol/L or 2M
B. 4 mol/L or 4M D. 7 mol/L or 7M

12. What opposing processes occur in a saturated solution?

A. vaporization and condensation C. oxidation and reduction
B. dissolution and crystallization D. dissociation and combination

13. Which of the following solutions has a concentration of 1 m (molal)? The molar mass of
sucrose is 342 g.
A. 342 g sucrose in 658 g of water. C. 342 g in 1000 g of water
B. 342 g sucrose in 100 g of solution D. 342 g sucrose in 1000 g of solution

14. What volume of 2 molar NaOH solution contains 10 g of NaOH?

A. 25 mL C. 250 mL
B. 125 mL D. 49.35 mL

15. Water in rivers and lakes contains a sufficient amount of dissolved oxygen to support
aquatic life. What is the minimum amount of dissolved oxygen needed for that purpose?
A. 5 ppm C. 15 ppm
B. 10 ppm D. 20 ppm

16. Dimercaprol is a compound used as an antidote for mercury or arsenic poisoning. This is
prepared by mixing 100 mg of dimercaprol with 700 mg of peanut oil. What is the percent
by mass of dimercaprol in this solution?
A. 12.0% C. 12.3%
B. 12.1% D. 12.5%

17. Saccharin, one of the first non-nutritive sweeteners used in soft-drinks, is 500 times
sweeter than sugar in dilute aqueous solutions. The solubility of saccharin is 1.00 gram
per 290 mL of solution. What is the molarity of a saturated saccharin solution? saccharin =
183.2 g/mol
A. 0.0188
M
B. 0.632
M
C. 1.58
M
D. 3.45
M

18. Isoamyl salicylate ( = 208.25 g/mol) has a pleasant aroma and is used in perfumes
and soaps. Which of the following combinations gives a 0.75 m solution of isoamyl
salicylate in ethyl alcohol (d = 0.7893 g/mL)?
A. 117.2 g isoamyl salicylate in 950.0 mL of ethyl alcohol
B. 117.2 g isoamyl salicylate in 750.0 mL of ethyl alcohol
C. 117.2 g isoamyl salicylate in 750.0 mL of solution
D. 117.2 g isoamyl salicylate in 592.0 g of ethyl alcohol

19. A fresh fruit shrinks when placed in a sugar solution. What factor explains this?
A. The sugar solution in the fruit has the same concentration as the surrounding
sugar solution.
B. The sugar solution in the fruit has a lower concentration than the surrounding
sugar solution.
C. The sugar solution in the fruit has a higher concentration than the surrounding
solution.
D. The fruit has no sugar solution, thus the surrounding sugar solution diffused into
the fruit.

20. In the preparation of some candied fruits, sliced fruits are cooked in a solution of sugar in
water. Upon cooling, sugar crystallized on the surface of the fruit pieces. What type of sugar
solution was used?
A. dilute C. unsaturated
B. saturated D. supersaturated

21. A water solution has a pH of 8. Which of the following can correctly be deduced about the
solution?

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A. It is a solution of sodium hydrogen carbonate.

B. It is a solution of sodium hydroxide.
C. It is an acid.
D. It is slightly acidic.

22. Colloidal mixtures are intermediary between a solution and suspension. Which of the
following mixtures is a colloid?
A. alcohol C. cooked starch
B. seawater D. sugar solution

23. Which would be a practical application of colloids?

A. lowering temperature to cause weather changes
B. removing undesirable odors from the refrigerator
C. attracting some of the charged particles that pass into the atmosphere
D. helping clean the body of toxic chemicals

24. A colloidal dispersion of very fine activated carbon powder is used in the sugar refining
industry to remove odor and color from raw sugar. What property of the fine powder
makes it a good adsorbent?
A. its large exposed surface area C. its being lighter than sugar crystals
B. its color D. its being unreactive

25. Carbon black is used as fillers for rubber tires. It is prepared by burning methane in
limited air and collecting the soot or carbon atoms on cool surfaces. What is this method
of making the colloid?
A. adsorption C. condensation
B. electrophoresis D. dispersion

PART III – ENHANCING TEST TAKING SKILLS

1. When the bottle of soft drink is opened, the solubility of CO 2 decreases according to
Henry’s Law. Therefore, bubbles of CO 2 escape from solution. What factor affecting
solubility is being exhibited?
A. catalyst C. pressure
B. nature of solute and solvent D. temperature

2. A cell with a semi-permeable membrane contains 5 % aqueous solution of sucrose. What

will happen to the cell if it is immersed in water?
A. burst C. swell
B. shrink D. unchanged

3. Solutions are homogeneous mixtures composed mostly of a solute and solvent. Which of
the following is NOT a solution?
A. alloy C. bronze
B. brass D. milk

4. Which is a gas in liquid solution?

A. alcohol in water C. air
B. carbonated drink D. brass

5. What should you do to dissolve more solid solute in a saturated liquid solution?
A. Stir the solution. C. Apply heat to the solution.
B. Reduce the pressure on the solution. D. Remove some solvent from the solution.

6. What is the percentage by volume of ethyl alcohol in a 90 proof lambanog?

A. 45 C. 90
B. 55 D. 180

7. Which of these properties best explains why charcoal is used in gas masks?
A. Tyndall effect C. surface tension
B. adsorption D. Brownian movement

8. Which of the following statements is correct?

A. Pressure changes have little effect on solubility if the solute is a liquid or a solid.
B. All solids are soluble in a liquid as temperature rises.
C. Supersaturated solution is an example of a dynamic system.
D. Solubility of a gas in liquid increases as temperature increases.

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9. The amount of solute present in a solution is usually expressed in concentration units.

Which of the following has the correct concentration unit?
A. 0.0015 g/mL C. 0. 015 atm
B. 0.11 psi D. 0.0011 mol/L

10. A chemistry student prepares an aqueous solution of a gas, with 0.3 g of the gas at
ordinary condition. If the pressure is doubled, what will be the mass of the gas that will be
dissolved?
A. 0.3 g C. 0.9 g
B. 0.6 g D. 0.15 g

11. A solution was prepared by dissolving 100 g of NaCl (A) in 900 g of water (B). What are
the mole fractions of the components of the solution?
A. XA = 0.023, XB = 0.977 C. XA = 0.333, XB = 0.667
B. XA = 0.033, XB = 0.967 D. XA = 0.300, XB = 0.700

12. The chemist, Anna Lytic, must prepare 1.00 kg of 15.0% (w/w) acetic acid using a stock
solution which is 36.0% (w/w) acetic acid (d = 1.045 g/mL). Which of the following
combinations will give her the solution she wants?
A. 417 mL of 36% acetic acid in 583 mL of distilled water
B. 417 g of 36% acetic acid in 583 g of distilled water
C. 360 mL of 36% acetic acid in 640 mL of distilled water
D. 360 g of 36% acetic acid in 640 g of distilled water

13. Which of the following statements describes the correct method of preparation of 1.00 L
of a 2.0 M urea solution? urea = 60.06 g/mol 

A. Dissolve 120 g of urea in 1.00 kg of distilled water.

B. Dissolve 120 g of urea in 880 g of distilled water.
C. Dissolve 120 g of urea in enough distilled water to produce 1.00 L of solution.
D. Dissolve 120 g of urea in 1.00 liter of distilled water.

14. About 3.5 g of CoCl2 is dissolved in 100mL solution. Assuming the density of the solution
is 1.0 g/mL, what is concentration of the solution in % mass?
A. 2.0 % C. 3.5%
B. 3.0 % D. 4.0 %

15. If 0.435 g of KMnO4 is dissolved in enough water to give 250. mL of solution, what is the
molarity of KMnO4?
A. 0.00110 M C. 0.1100 M
B. 0.0110 M D. 0.1010 M

16. What volume of concentrated (14.7 M) phosphoric acid is needed to prepare 25.0 L of 3.0
M H3PO4? 
A. 0.20 L
B. 0.57 L
C. 1.8 L
D. 5.1 L

17. Which demonstrates the adsorptive property of colloids?

A. cloud seeding
B. adding egg yolk in preparing mayonnaise
C. using charcoal to remove unpleasant odors
D. using a kidney machine in dialysis

18. The following alcohols are made to dissolve in water:

1 - ethanol (C2H5OH),
2 - propanol (C3H7OH)
3 - pentanol (C5H11OH)

What will be its correct order of increasing solubility?

A. 3-2-1 C. 2-3-1
B. 1-2-3 D. 1-3-2

19. Calculate the concentration of CO2 in a soft drink that is bottled with a partial pressure of
4.0 atm over the liquid at 25 oC. The Henry’s law constant for CO 2 in water at this
temperature is 3.1 x 10-2 mol/L-atm.
A. 0.10 M C. 0.12 M

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Focus: Solutions
By: Prof. Ruel A. Avilla
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B. 0.11 M D. 0.13 M

For items 20-21, refer to the figure below

Solubility
in g/1000
mL H2O

20. Which salt is not affected in its Temperature in oC solubility when the
solution is heated?
A. W only C. W and Y
B. Z only D. X and Y

21. Which salt has a solubility that decreases with increase in temperature?
A. Y only C. W and X
B. X only D. Y and Z

22. A solution of potassium hydroxide is in equilibrium with undissolved solute at 45°C. What
will happen if the temperature is raised to 50°C?
A. The mass of dissolved KOH will increase.
B. The mass of dissolved KOH will decrease.
C. The mass of dissolved KOH will be unchanged.
D. The mass of water in the solution will increase.

23. What type of colloid forms when coconut milk is shaken with water?
A. sol C. emulsion
B. aerosol D. foam

24. As you enter a building, you observe a beautiful blue beam of light from the glass roof.
What is this phenomenon called?
A. Brownian motion C. Tyndall Effect
B. Peptization D. Precipitation
25. What makes colloidal particles in air harmful?
A. They are toxic and poisonous.
B. They adsorb and carry along poisonous substances.
C. They corrode metal surfaces.
D. They absorb ultraviolet rays from the sun.

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