PRINCIPLES OF CHEMISTRY LABORATORY

EXPERIMENT 2: PREPARATION OF SOLUTIONS

I. OBJECTIVES
‒ To express the solubility, density and the concentration of a saturated solution.
‒ To observe the process of crystallization, happen in the solution and to analyze and
observe the difference between two controlled conditions of the solutions with the same
properties, with one placed in a test tube rack, and the other immersed in a room
temperature water bath.

II. THEORY ABOUT THE EXPERIMENT

There are three types of solution, mainly: saturated, unsaturated, and supersaturated.
Flowers, Robinson, Langley, et al., differentiate these three solutions based on the relationship
of concentration and solubility of the solution. They stated that:

When the concentration of the solute is equal to its solubility, the solution is said
to be saturated with the solute. If the solute’s concentration is less than its solubility,
the solution is unsaturated. And solutions that has solute concentration that goes
beyond its solubility is supersaturated (Flowers, Robinson, Langley, & Theopold, 2015)

A solution becomes supersaturated at a lower temperature when it is cooled after

having more solute dissolved at a higher temperature. Crystals begin to form because the
supersaturated solution contains more solute than is stable at the lower temperature
(Robertson, 2010). Brown, Lemay, & Bursten stated that:

As a solid solute dissolves in a solvent, the concentration of solute particles in

solution increases, as do the chances of them colliding with the solid's surface
(crystallization). A saturated solution is one that is in equilibrium with an undissolved
solute. It is possible to produce solutions that contain more solute than is required to
form a saturated solution under the right conditions. These solutions are referred to as
supersaturated. These solutions can be made by saturating a solution at a high
temperature and then cooling it slowly to a temperature where the solute is less soluble
(Brown, Lemay, & Bursten, 1997).
III. FLOWCHART OF THE PROCEDURE
SATURATED SOLUTION
Pulverize a small Weigh a dry small test tube and
Obtain the room's a stirring rod. Use a small
Amount of sodium beaker to support the test
temperature
chloride crystals tube.

Add exactly 1.25 g of If there is still some

Place 3.0 mL of pulveriszed sodium chloride undissolved solid in the
distilled water into into the test tube little by test tube, add water drop
the test tube litttle. Let the solid dissolve by drop until a very small
before adding more. amount of solid remains.

Transfer the contents Calculate the density of the

solution, the solubility of
Reweigh the test tube carefully in a 5 or 10 mL
sodium chloride and the
and stirring rod. graduated cylinder and concentration of the
determine the total volume solution

SUPERSATURATED SOLUTION

Prepare two test Remove both test tubes from heat. Place
Heat two test tubes one tube in the test tube rack and let it
tubes that each
in a water bath (80 C) cool slowly to room temperature without
contains 1.0 g sodium disturbing it. Let the other test tube cools
until all the solids
acetate anf 1.0 mL quickly by immersing it in a room
dissolve
distilled. temperature with water bath.

If no crystals are
Describe the crystals
formed, add a very
formed in each test
small crsyta of sodium
tube.
acetate. Observe.

IV. RESULTS

I. SATURATED SOLUTION
Room Temperature 31.4 ◦C
Mass of test tube + stirring rod + test tube 39.80 g
Mass of test tube + stirring rod + saturated solution 44.36 g
Mass of NaCl 1.25 g
Volume of Water 3.0 mL
Volume of Saturated Solution 4.23 mL

II. SUPERSATURATED SOLUTION

Controlled Condition (Test Tube) Observation

a. Solution placed in the test tube rack Before addition of small crystal: the solution
undisturbed is clear
After addition: solid crystals appeared

b. Solution immersed in a room
temperature water bath
The solution is cooling slowly
Crystals are formed/observed rather slowly
than the other test tube.
Before addition of small crystal: the solution
is clear
After addition: solid crystals appeared
The solution is cooling quickly
Crystals are formed/observed rather quickly
than the other test tube.

V. CONCLUSION

The solubility, density, and concentration of the observed solution is 0.3 g/mL, 1.1 g/mL,
4.73 mol/L respectively.
It is observed in the second experiement how cooling down a staurated solution could
result to crytallization, making it a supersaturated solution. Furthermore, it was observed the
difference between two controlled conditions, having it said that the test tube with
undistruberd factor cooled down slowly compared to the other one.