osé performs an experiment to determine how much sugar can be dissolved in 250 milliliters (mL) of water at 25°C. He adds 50 grams (g) of sugar at a time to the water while stirring and observes the solution. After adding sugar the eleventh time (550 g), he notes that undissolved sugar has settled to the bottom of the container. He stops adding sugar and ends his experiment. In his lab write-up he concludes that the solubility of sugar in water at 25°C is 500 g per 250 mL. Is his conclusion defensible, and why or why not?
No, his conclusion is not defensible. The solubility of a substance is the maximum amount of that substance that can be dissolved in a given amount of solvent at a given temperature. Since Osé stopped adding sugar after the eleventh time, he did not reach the maximum amount of sugar that could be dissolved in the water. Therefore, his conclusion is not defensible.
