5. On the basis of a solubility curve for KNO3 what type of substance would you expect KNO3 to be?
Choices: solid
liquid
gas
It is impossible to tell.
I don't want the answer. All I want to know is, can you tell whether something is a liquid/solid/gas just by using a solubility curve? If so, how?
I don't know that you can except in some circumstances.
First, most gases are not very soluble (some exceptions are NH3, SO2, SO3 etc) so unless it reacts with water and is quite soluble, you don't expect it to be a gas.
Most liquids are not soluble in H2O unless they are low molecular weight organic materials such as methanol, ethanol, etc.
So if the solubility curve shows KNO3 to be quite soluble in water the odds are that it is a solid. I'm surprised a the answer choices. I would have thought the choices to be ionic, covalent, can't tell.
To determine whether a substance is a solid, liquid, or gas based on a solubility curve, we need to understand the relationship between solubility and temperature. A solubility curve shows how the solubility of a substance changes with temperature.
Here's how we can determine the state of a substance using a solubility curve:
1. Identify the substance: In this case, we are considering KNO3.
2. Locate the solubility curve for KNO3: The solubility curve is a line on the graph that represents the relationship between temperature and solubility of KNO3.
3. Determine the solubility at a specific temperature: Use the solubility curve to find the solubility of KNO3 at a given temperature. The solubility is usually given in grams of solute per 100 grams of solvent.
4. Analyze the solubility:
a) If the solubility of KNO3 increases as the temperature increases, it indicates that KNO3 is a solid substance. This is because the solubility of most solids tends to increase with rising temperature.
b) If the solubility of KNO3 decreases as the temperature increases, it suggests that KNO3 is a gas. This is because many gases become less soluble in liquid solvents as the temperature rises.
c) If the solubility of KNO3 remains constant with temperature changes, it suggests that KNO3 is a liquid. While this is less common, some substances, particularly certain organic compounds, exhibit constant solubility regardless of temperature.
Based on the behaviors described above, we can use a solubility curve to make an educated guess about the state of a substance, but it's important to note that it may not provide definitive proof. Temperature alone can't determine a substance's state with certainty, as other factors like pressure can also influence the state of a substance.