Which of the following changes will increase the amount of solid solute able to be dissolved in a liter of liquid water?
decreasing pressure
increasing temperature
decreasing temperature
increasing surface area
I don't think the correct answer isn't listed.
Pressure has almost no effect on the solubility of solids. The answer you may be looking for is increasing T; however, some solids are more soluble at lower temperatures. Increasing surface area increases the RATE of the solubility but it doesn't change the solubility at equilibrium.
To determine which of the changes will increase the amount of solid solute that can be dissolved in a liter of liquid water, we can consider the factors that affect solubility.
1. Decreasing pressure: Decreasing pressure generally decreases solubility. This is because an increase in pressure tends to compress the solvent molecules, making them more closely spaced, which in turn increases the availability of spaces between the solvent molecules for the solute particles to occupy. Therefore, decreasing pressure would not increase the amount of solid solute that can be dissolved.
2. Increasing temperature: Increasing temperature generally increases solubility. When the temperature rises, the kinetic energy of the solvent molecules increases, causing them to move more vigorously, which can disrupt the intermolecular forces holding the solute particles together. This allows more solute particles to separate and mix with the solvent, thus increasing the solubility.
3. Decreasing temperature: Decreasing temperature generally decreases solubility. Cooling the solvent decreases the kinetic energy of the solvent molecules, making them move more slowly. This reduction in kinetic energy reduces the ability of the solvent molecules to effectively interact with and separate the solute particles, resulting in a decrease in solubility.
4. Increasing surface area: Increasing the surface area of the solute can increase solubility. This is because when the solute particles have a higher surface area, more solvent molecules can come into contact with the solute particles, which enhances the dissolution process. Consequently, increasing the surface area tends to increase the amount of solid solute that can be dissolved.
Based on these considerations, the change that will increase the amount of solid solute able to be dissolved in a liter of liquid water is increasing temperature and increasing surface area.