an extremely soluable salt is added to water, and all of it dissolves. is it at equilibrium? explin.

No it is not at equilibrium because there is no solid present. Note the correct spelling of soluble.

and if the salt would only be slightly soluble then it would still not be at equilibrium, correct?

To be at equilibrium the solution must have dissolved all it can dissolve and some solid must be present.

thank you

To determine if a solution is at equilibrium, we need to understand what equilibrium means in this context. In a solution, equilibrium is reached when the rate of dissolution of the solute (salt in this case) is equal to the rate of precipitation or crystallization.

In the scenario you described, where an extremely soluble salt is added to water and all of it dissolves, we are observing a process called complete dissolution. This means that all of the salt particles break down and mix evenly with the water molecules. However, this does not necessarily mean that the solution has reached equilibrium.

In order to confirm whether the solution is at equilibrium, we need to examine other factors such as temperature and concentration. At equilibrium, the concentration of the dissolved salt remains constant over time. If the concentration of the dissolved salt is increasing or decreasing, it indicates that the solution is not yet at equilibrium.

Additionally, temperature plays a crucial role in determining if a solution is at equilibrium. Some salts can dissolve more readily at higher temperatures, while others may become less soluble. Therefore, it is necessary to consider the temperature conditions when assessing equilibrium in a solution.

To summarize, if all of an extremely soluble salt dissolves in water, it means the dissolution process is complete. However, we cannot conclude that the solution is at equilibrium solely based on this observation. Equilibrium involves monitoring the concentration and temperature to ensure that a dynamic balance has been established between the rate of dissolution and precipitation of the solute.