Meaning & use
supersaturation
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Meanings
noununcountablechemistry
The unstable state of a solution that holds more dissolved substance than it normally could at that temperature.
Grammar: Uncountable: the supersaturation of the solution.
Patterns
- supersaturation of something
- reach supersaturation
Supersaturation lets sugar crystals grow quickly in the syrup.
Cooling slowly can cause supersaturation in the solution.
A tiny seed crystal ends supersaturation.
noununcountabletechnical
In weather science, a state where air holds more water vapor than it normally could, which leads to cloud droplets forming.
Grammar: Used in meteorology: supersaturation in clouds.
Patterns
- supersaturation in something
Slight supersaturation lets cloud droplets form.
Supersaturation of the air produces fog.
Scientists measured supersaturation inside the cloud.
Common combinations
- achieve supersaturation
- Scientists achieved supersaturation by cooling the liquid.
- degree of supersaturation
- The degree of supersaturation affects crystal size.
- cause supersaturation
- Rapid cooling can cause supersaturation.
- relieve supersaturation
- Adding a crystal relieves supersaturation.
Synonyms and how they differ
- oversaturation
- Oversaturation is a looser term that can also mean too much of anything, not only dissolved substances.
- saturation
- Saturation is the maximum amount held stably, while supersaturation exceeds it.
Opposites
Word family
- saturate verb
- to fill completely with something
- saturated adjective
- holding as much as possible
- supersaturated adjective
- holding more than normal
- saturation noun
- the state of holding as much as possible
Commonly confused: supersaturation or saturation?
supersaturation vs saturation
Saturation is a full but stable state, while supersaturation is beyond that limit and unstable.
Practice
A solution holding more dissolved sugar than it normally can at that temperature is in a state of ___.
Choose one answer.
Supersaturation means a solution holds more than its normal limit. Dilution would mean adding more solvent.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “supersaturation”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.