Meaning & use
saturated solution chemistry
Last updated
Meaning
nouncountabletechnicalchemistry
A solution in which no more of a substance can be dissolved at a given temperature.
Grammar: Countable; you can talk about 'a saturated solution' or 'saturated solutions'.
Patterns
- a saturated solution of something
- prepare a saturated solution
When no more sugar dissolves, the solution becomes a saturated solution.
A saturated solution of copper sulfate has a deep blue color.
Heating the saturated solution allowed more solute to dissolve.
Word forms
| plural | saturated solutions |
|---|
Common combinations
- saturated solution of salt
- A saturated solution of salt is used in some food preservation.
- prepare a saturated solution
- In the lab, we prepared a saturated solution by adding solute until no more would dissolve.
- become a saturated solution
- As the water evaporated, the liquid became a saturated solution.
Synonyms and how they differ
- supersaturated solution
- A supersaturated solution contains more dissolved substance than a saturated one, usually achieved by cooling.
Opposites
Word family
- saturate verb
- To make a solution unable to dissolve more of a substance.
- saturation noun
- The state of being saturated.
Commonly confused: saturated solution chemistry or concentrated solution?
saturated solution chemistry vs concentrated solution
A concentrated solution has a lot of solute, but it may still be able to dissolve more; a saturated solution cannot.
Practice
What happens when you add more solute to a saturated solution at the same temperature?
Choose one answer.
In a saturated solution, the solvent cannot dissolve any more solute at that temperature, so extra solute stays solid.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “saturated solution chemistry”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.