Is the dissolution of borax in water a temperature dependent reaction or is it spontaneous at all temperatures at which water is liquid?
I think its spontaneous at all temperatures when water is liquid because borax is a polar compound.
ethanol is nonpolar while DNA is polar and in the saying "like disolves like" the same applies here. So DNA is soluble in water because it is polar.
sorry but I posted the answer to another question here above.
an answer to your question Danny is that it is temperature dependent since I looked it up and the
solubiity
0 deg C => 1.99 % by weight in sat solution
100deg C=> 65.64# by weight in sat solution
I'm not sure how to answer your question. Borax dissolves in water; however, the solubility varies with temperature.
so its not spontaneous at room temperature?
the word "spontaneous" would imply that it spontaneously soluble at room temperature but you need a solvent such as water.To me it doesn't make sense to say it's "spontaneous"ly soluble at room temperature.
(saying something spontaneously combusts is the way I would use the word spontaneous but I don't feel it is applicable to a rxn of dissolving borax)
The dissolution of borax in water is generally a temperature-dependent reaction, meaning that the rate at which borax dissolves in water can be influenced by temperature. However, it's important to note that borax is a highly soluble and polar compound, which contributes to its ability to dissolve in water.
To determine whether a reaction is temperature dependent or spontaneous at all temperatures, we can consider the concept of solubility. Solubility is the maximum amount of solute (in this case, borax) that can be dissolved in a given amount of solvent (water) at a particular temperature.
At lower temperatures, the solubility of borax in water is relatively low. This means that only a limited amount of borax can dissolve in a given volume of water. As the temperature increases, the solubility of borax in water generally increases as well, allowing more borax to dissolve.
While the dissolution of borax in water is temperature dependent, it is important to mention that borax is still soluble in water at lower temperatures, although to a lesser extent. So, while the reaction may be slower at lower temperatures, it can still occur and is not completely spontaneous.
In conclusion, the dissolution of borax in water is temperature dependent, with higher temperatures generally resulting in a greater amount of borax being dissolved. However, even at lower temperatures, borax is still soluble to some extent due to its polar nature.