Solubility is the ability of a substance to dissolve, or uniformly mix, into another. The mixture that results is called a solution. It is made of two parts: the solute, which is the substance that is dissolved, and the solvent, which is the substance that does the dissolving. When making hot tea, the water is the solvent, and the sugar is the solute. If a substance cannot dissolve in a given liquid, we say it is insoluble. If it can be dissolved, it is soluble.
The amount of solute dissolved in a solution is called its concentration. The maximum amount of solute that can dissolve in a solvent at a given temperature is its solubility. The speed at which a solute can be dissolved can be sped up by mixing it, heating it or by using smaller particles of solute. If you drop a chunk of salt in a glass of water, it will take a while to dissolve. But if you sprinkle small grains of salt from a salt shaker, or if you stir or heat the water, the salt will dissolve faster.
What does it mean when we say a substance is water-soluble?
A
The substance cannot be dissolved in water.
B
The substance is always a solvent.
C
The substance can be dissolved in water.
D
The substance is already a solution.