What happens if you add more solute to a saturated solution?
If the solution is saturated it will stay saturated although the solid form and the aqueous form still will exchange places; i.e. some of the excess solid will dissolve but at the same time some of the material in solution will come out of solution so that the net effect is that the amount in solution is constant and the amount of solid is constant.
When you add more solute to a saturated solution, something interesting happens. The solution remains saturated, meaning it cannot dissolve any more of the solute at that specific temperature and pressure. This is because the solution has reached a point where it contains the maximum amount of solute that can be dissolved at that saturation point.
The excess solute that you add does not dissolve and instead forms solid particles at the bottom of the container. This is known as precipitation. The additional solute essentially "falls out" of the solution since there is no room for it to dissolve any further.
It is important to note that the saturation point of a solution depends on the temperature and pressure. If you were to increase the temperature or decrease the pressure, the solution could become unsaturated, allowing for more solute to dissolve.
To determine what happens when you add more solute to a saturated solution, you can follow these steps:
1. Identify the initial amount of solute that is already in the solution.
2. Determine the saturation point of the solute at the current temperature and pressure.
3. Measure the amount of solute you want to add.
4. Compare the amount of solute you want to add with the saturation point. If the amount is less than or equal to the saturation point, the solution will stay saturated. If it exceeds the saturation point, the excess solute will precipitate out of the solution.