Chapter 5: Water and Solution

Physical Characteristic of Water

1. Water is a tasteless, colourless, and odourless liquid.

2. Water can exist in three states: gas, liquid and solid.
3. Water in liquid freezes to form ice and evaporates or boils to form stream.
4. When water is cooled, it turns into solid at certain temperature.
5. The freezing point of water is the temperature at which water freezes and becomes ice.
6. The degree of water (100⁰c) is the temperature at which the water boils and become
steam.
7. When water freezes:
a. The water particles lose kinetic energy to the surroundings
b. The particles move slowly and come closer to each other
c. At 0⁰c, water particles move very slowly allowing the cohesive force keeps the
particles to rearrange the cohesive force keeps the particles to rearrange
themselves in an orderly manner.
8. When water boils:
a. The particles require energy for the particles to move faster and separate from each
other.
b. At 100⁰c, the particles have enough energy to overcome the attraction forces that
keep them in the liquid state.
c. Particles are free to from one another at the water surface and are released as
steam into the air.
9. Pure water is a poor conductor of heat and electricity.
10. The density of water is 1g/ml .
11. The presence of water can determined by:
a. Change anhydrous cobalt chloride from blue to white.
b. Changes anhydrous copper sulphale from white to blue.
12. The presence of foreign particles in water will change the physical properties of water.
For example, the addition of salt to water will cause it to become salty and higher the
boiling point and the lower the temperature of freezing points. It the density of water. It
increases the density of the water.

Composition of Water

1. Water is a chemical compound that consists of two elements, oxygen and hydrogen.
2. One water molecule consists of two hydrogen atoms and one oxygen atom that
combine chemically.
3. Electrolysis of water is a process of breaking down a water molecule into its element
hydrogen and oxygen.
Evaporation of Water

1. Evaporation:
- Is a process in which liquid is lost from the surface of the liquid in the form of water
vapour into the atmosphere.
- Occurs at any time and at any temperature.
2. The rate of evaporation is affected by:
a. Air humidity
Dry air has less water molecules, therefore, evaporation occurs faster.
b. The surrounding temperature
High temperatures give more energy to water molecules to escape into the air.
c. Exposed surface area
A big surface area enables more water molecules to escape into the air.
d. Air movement
Wind quickens the evaporation process by transporting the evaporated molecules
to other places.

Difference between Evaporation and Boiling

Evaporation Boiling
Occurs at any temperature below the Occurs only when a liquid reaches its
liquid’s boiling point boiling point
Process slow Process fast
Occurs only at the surface of the liquid Occurs throughout the liquid
No bubbles are formed Bubbles are forms in the liquid
Less heat energy is sufficient to occur More heat energy is required relatively
to occur.

Solubility

1. Is the maximum amount of solute that can dissolve in a solvent at a specific

temperature.
2. The factors affecting the solubility of a solute are:
a. Nature of solute ( different solutes have different solubility in a solvent )
b. Nature of solvent
c. Temperature ( solubility increases as the temperature increases )
3. The factor affecting the solubility rate of a solute are:
a. Size of the solute
The smaller the particle size of the solute, the faster it dissolves in a solvent.
b. Stirring
Solutes dissolve more easily if stirred.
c. Volume of solvent
Solutes dissolve more easily in a bigger volume of solvent.
 d. Temperature of solvent
The solubility of solute in a solvent increases if the solvent is heated.
4. A liquid that dissolves other substances in a solvent.
5. When a solute dissolves in a solvent, a solution is formed.
6. The particles of a solute and a solvent are evenly distributed in a solution. At any
part of the solution, the taste, appearance and composition are the same.
7. Water is the universal solvent because it dissolves many types of substances.
8. Organic solvents are used to dissolve some solutes.

Solution and Suspension

1. Mixtures of liquids can be divided into solutions and suspensions.

2. Mixtures which contain dissolved substances are called solutions.
3. Mixtures which contain insoluble substances are called suspensions.

Differences between a solution and a suspension.

Aspect Solution Suspensions

Description When a solute dissolved to a When a solute is insoluble and
solvent suspended in a solvent
Nature of particles Very small and easily Larger particles
distributed
Nature of solution Clear and light can pass Cloudy and very little light can
through pass through
When left to stand No sediment formed Solid particles float on the
surface or settle at the bottom
Filtration Does not leave residue on a Leaves residue on a filter
filter paper paper
Types of solution Homogeneous or uniform in Non-homogeneous
colour and appearance
Examples Glucose solution, acids, Cough mixture, calamine
alkaline lotion, muddy water

Solubility

1. Solubility of a solute is in the quantity of solute in grams that will dissolve in 100g of
solvent at a certain temperature to produce a saturated solution. Therefore, solubility
refers to the maximum amount of a solute that will dissolve in a given amount of
solvent.
mass of solute ( g)
Solubility =
100 g of solvent
2. The unit of solubility can also be g per ml of the solvent.
3. The solubility of a solute is affected by the
a. Nature of solvent
 b. Nature of solute
c. Temperature of solvent
4. The nature of solvent
a. A substance has different solubility in different solvents.
b. The following shows some examples to relate solvent to solutes for this case:
i. Sugar (solute) dissolves faster in water (solvent) than in other solvents such
as alcohol and oil.
ii. Ink (solute) dissolves quickly in acetone and alcohol solvents but dissolves
slowly in water.
5. The nature of solute
a. Different solutes have different solubility in a given solvent.
b. For example, common salt is more soluble in water than in a suspension of wheat
flow.
6. The temperature of solvent
a. The solubility of a solid in a solvent generally increases if the temperature of the
solvent increases.
b. However, the solubility of a gas in a solvent decreases if the temperature of the
solvent increases.
c. Most solutes are more soluble in a solvent at a higher temperature than at a lower
temperature.
d. For example, common salt dissolves faster in hot water than in cold water.

Rate of dissolving a solute

1. The rate of dissolving a solute indicates how fast a substance can dissolve in a given
amount of solvent at a certain temperature.
2. The time taken by a solvent to completely dissolve a solute is the time for dissolving
process.
3. Factors affecting the rate of dissolving
a. The size of solute particles
b. The rate of stirring
c. The temperature of solvent
d. The volume of solvent

The importance of water as a solvent in daily life

1. Water which is known as the universal solvent is a very important compound in our lives
2. A solution in which water is the solvent is called an aqueous solution.
3. Human body processes such as digestion of food; excretion and blood circulation need
water as a solvent.
4. Water is used as solvent in many types of industries than manufacture food, drinks,
medicines and detergents.
5. Plants need water for photosynthesis and transpiration processes.
 6. Aquatic organisms are able to live in water because oxygen and carbon dioxides dissolve
in water.

Organic Solvents

1. Some organic substances are not soluble in water but they are soluble in organic
solvents.
2. Organic solvents are organic compounds containing carbon that are used to dissolve
solutes to form solutions.
3. Alcohols, petrol, kerosene, turpentine, acetone and ether are a few examples of
common organic solvents.
 Organic solvent Solute Use of solvent

Alcohol Chlorophyll to remove chlorophyll

Ink to remove ink stains

Iodine to prepare disinfectant when iodine dissolves in it

Shellac To polish furniture

Varnish To prepare cosmetics

Acetone Cosmetics To remove lipstick stains and nail varnish

Wax to prepare nail varnish

Amyl acetate Cosmetics To remove lipstick stains and nail varnish

Wax To prepare nail varnish

Benzene Grease and oil To remove grease and oil status

Rubber To remove rubber stains

Carbon disulphide Rubber To remove rubber stains

Sulphur To remove sulphur stains

Chloroform Plastic To adhere plastic to other surface

Ether Fats and oil To extract fats and oil

Kerosene Paint To remove paint stains

Oil and grease To remove oil and grease

Petrol Grease To remove grease

Paint to remove or dilute paint

Tar To remove tar

Tetra chloromethane Stains on fabrics To remove stains in dry cleaning

turpentine varnish To dilute varnish

paints To dilute or remove paint

Acid and Alkali

Acids

1. Can be classified as:

a. Organic acids
- Organic acids contain carbon and are normally found in plants and animals
b. Inorganic or mineral acids
- Mineral salts are used to prepare inorganic acids. Therefore, they are also called
mineral acids.
- Common inorganic acids:
Nitric acid
Sulphuric acid
Hydrochloric acid
2. Properties of acids:
- Have a sour taste
- Have a pH values of less than 7
- Turn moist blue litmus paper red
- Have a corrosive nature
- Contain hydrogen which can be displaced by suitable metals such as magnesium and
sodium.

Acid + Metal → Salt + Hydrogen

- Reacts with carbonates to release carbon dioxide.

Acid + Carbonate → Salt + Water + Carbon dioxide

Alkalis

1. Oxides or hydroxides of metals dissolve in water to form alkaline

2. Examples of alkalis:
a. Calcium hydroxide
b. Magnesium hydroxide
c. Sodium hydroxide
3. Properties of alkalis:
a. Have a bitter taste
b. Have a pH values more than 7
c. Have a soapy feel
d. Have a corrosive nature
e. Turn moist red litmus paper blue
f. React with ammonium salts to release ammonia when heated
The Roles of Water in Acids

1. Dry blue litmus paper does not change color when it is placed in a test tube containing
dry tea leaves.
2. The blue litmus paper turns red when some distilled water is poured into the test tube.
3. Tannic acid shows it acidic characteristics when it is dissolved in water.
4. Acids show their acidity only when they are in aqueous solutions.

The Roles of Water in Alkalis

1. Dry red litmus paper does not change color when it is placed in a test tube containing
solids of calcium hydroxide.
2. The red litmus paper turns blue when some distilled water dissolved in water.
3. Alkalis show their alkalinity only when they are aqueous solutions.

Acidic and Alkaline Substances in daily life

1. Acidic and alkaline substances that we use in daily life vary in their concentrations.
2. These substances are usually kept in reagent bottles with corrosive hazard symbol.
3. A pH paper can used to determine the pH values of acidic or alkaline substances.

pH Values

1. pH values are used to determine the strength of acids or alkalis.

2. The range of a pH scale is from 1 to 14.
3. Acids have pH values of less than 7. Acidity increases as the pH values decreases.
4. Neutral substances have a pH value of 7.
5. Alkalis have pH values more than 7. Alkalinity increases as the pH value increases.
6. An acid with pH 3 is more acidic than an acid with pH 6.
7. An alkali with pH 12 is more alkaline than an alkaline with pH 8.
8. Indicators are used to determine whether a substance is acidic, alkaline, or neutral.
9. An indicator usually contains a plant dye that change color when it is in contact with an
acidic, an alkaline, or a neutral substance.

Neutralization

1. Neutralization is a chemical reaction between an acid and an alkali to form salt and
water.
2. This process makes acids and alkalis lose their properties. The salt produced from this
process is neutral and it has a pH value of 7.
3. Titration is a method used to neutralize an acid with an alkali.
4. The following shows some examples of neutralization:
a. Hydrochloric acid + sodium hydroxide → sodium chloride + water
b. Nitric acid + calcium hydroxide → calcium nitrate + water
c. Sulphuric acid + magnesium hydroxide → magnesium sulphate + water
 5. During a neutralization process, an acid is usually placed in a burette to neutralize an
alkali in a conical flask
6. If an alkali is placed in the burette, it might leave behind some residue that will clog up
the burette tap.
7. An indicator is important to indicate the end point of the neutralization process, which
means that the mixture is neutral (neither acidic nor alkaline)

Application of Neutralization

1. Toothpaste which is alkaline is used to neutralize the acid forms around the teeth in the
mouth.
2. Bee stings are acid. Wasp stings are alkaline.
3. Ammonium salts can be manufactured when ammonia solution is neutralized by
suitable acids.
Examples:
a. Ammonia solution + nitric acid →ammonium nitric + water
b. Ammonia solution + sulphuric acid → ammonium sulphate + water

Water purification

1. Rain is the main source of water

2. Most of the water sources are in form of oceans while the others are
a. Ponds
b. Rivers
c. Waterfalls
d. Rainwater
e. Ice and snow
f. Oases
g. Wells
h. Springs
i. Lakes
j. Seas
3. The importance of the purification of water to us:
a. To remove suspended particles such as dry leaves, dirt and mud
b. To remove dangerous or toxic dissolved substances such as mercury or lead
compounds
c. To kill microorganisms such as bacteria and fungi
d. To enrich the water by adding some minerals for the human
e. To make the water clean, colorless, tasteless and odorless
Methods of Water Purification

Filtration

1. Filtration process removes suspended solid particles such as sand, mud, dirt and dry
leaves.
2. Filtrations can b e done by using a sand filter. The process is fast and cheap but It does
not
a. Remove dissolved substances
b. Kill harmful microorganisms
3. Filtered water is unsafe for drinking.

Boiling

1.