krit.club logo

Materials and Matter - Solutions, Suspensions, and Mixtures

Grade 5IB

Review the key concepts, formulae, and examples before starting your quiz.

🔑Concepts

Matter is everything around us that has mass and takes up space, and it is made of tiny particles called atoms and molecules like H2OH_2O.

A Mixture is a physical combination of two or more substances where each substance retains its own chemical properties.

A Solution is a type of homogeneous mixture where one substance (the solute) dissolves completely into another (the solvent). A common example is salt (NaClNaCl) dissolved in water (H2OH_2O).

The Solute is the substance that is being dissolved (e.g., sugar), while the Solvent is the substance that does the dissolving (e.g., water).

A Suspension is a heterogeneous mixture containing large particles that do not dissolve and will eventually settle at the bottom over time, such as sand in H2OH_2O.

Solubility refers to the maximum amount of solute that can dissolve in a specific amount of solvent at a given temperature.

Concentration describes the ratio of solute to solvent. A 'dilute' solution has very little solute, while a 'concentrated' solution has a large amount of solute.

The Law of Conservation of Mass states that the total mass of a mixture is equal to the sum of the masses of the individual components: Masstotal=Mass1+Mass2Mass_{total} = Mass_{1} + Mass_{2}.

📐Formulae

Solute+Solvent=SolutionSolute + Solvent = Solution

Masssolution=Masssolute+MasssolventMass_{solution} = Mass_{solute} + Mass_{solvent}

Concentration=Mass of SoluteVolume of SolventConcentration = \frac{Mass\ of\ Solute}{Volume\ of\ Solvent}

SolubilityTemperatureSolubility \propto Temperature (For most solid solutes in liquid solvents)

💡Examples

Problem 1:

If a student mixes 15g15g of sugar into 200g200g of water (H2OH_2O), what is the total mass of the resulting sugar solution?

Solution:

215g215g

Explanation:

According to the Law of Conservation of Mass, the mass of the solution is the sum of the solute and the solvent: 15g+200g=215g15g + 200g = 215g.

Problem 2:

You have two beakers of water. Beaker A has 11 teaspoon of salt (NaClNaCl) and Beaker B has 55 teaspoons of salt. Which solution is more concentrated?

Solution:

Beaker B

Explanation:

Concentration is defined as the amount of solute per volume of solvent. Since Beaker B has more solute (NaClNaCl) in the same amount of water, it is more concentrated.

Problem 3:

Identify whether a mixture of muddy water is a solution or a suspension, and explain why.

Solution:

Suspension

Explanation:

Muddy water is a suspension because the soil particles are large and do not dissolve. If left undisturbed, the particles will settle at the bottom due to gravity.