- alloy
- solid mixture of a metallic element and one or more additional elements
- amphiphilic
- molecules possessing both hydrophobic (nonpolar) and a hydrophilic (polar) parts
- boiling point elevation
- elevation of the boiling point of a liquid by addition of a solute
- boiling point elevation constant
- the proportionality constant in the equation relating boiling point elevation to solute molality; also known as the ebullioscopic constant
- colligative property
- property of a solution that depends only on the concentration of a solute species
- colloid
- (also, colloidal dispersion) mixture in which relatively large solid or liquid particles are dispersed uniformly throughout a gas, liquid, or solid
- crenation
- process whereby biological cells become shriveled due to loss of water by osmosis
- dispersed phase
- substance present as relatively large solid or liquid particles in a colloid
- dispersion medium
- solid, liquid, or gas in which colloidal particles are dispersed
- dissociation
- physical process accompanying the dissolution of an ionic compound in which the compound’s constituent ions are solvated and dispersed throughout the solution
- electrolyte
- substance that produces ions when dissolved in water
- emulsifying agent
- amphiphilic substance used to stabilize the particles of some emulsions
- emulsion
- colloid formed from immiscible liquids
- freezing point depression
- lowering of the freezing point of a liquid by addition of a solute
- freezing point depression constant
- (also, cryoscopic constant) proportionality constant in the equation relating freezing point depression to solute molality
- gel
- colloidal dispersion of a liquid in a solid
- hemolysis
- rupture of red blood cells due to the accumulation of excess water by osmosis
- Henry’s law
- law stating the proportional relationship between the concentration of dissolved gas in a solution and the partial pressure of the gas in contact with the solution
- hypertonic
- of greater osmotic pressure
- hypotonic
- of less osmotic pressure
- ideal solution
- solution that forms with no accompanying energy change
- immiscible
- of negligible mutual solubility; typically refers to liquid substances
- ion pair
- solvated anion/cation pair held together by moderate electrostatic attraction
- ion-dipole attraction
- electrostatic attraction between an ion and a polar molecule
- isotonic
- of equal osmotic pressure
- miscible
- mutually soluble in all proportions; typically refers to liquid substances
- molality (m)
- a concentration unit defined as the ratio of the numbers of moles of solute to the mass of the solvent in kilograms
- nonelectrolyte
- substance that does not produce ions when dissolved in water
- osmosis
- diffusion of solvent molecules through a semipermeable membrane
- osmotic pressure (Π)
- opposing pressure required to prevent bulk transfer of solvent molecules through a semipermeable membrane
- partially miscible
- of moderate mutual solubility; typically refers to liquid substances
- Raoult’s law
- the partial pressure exerted by a solution component is equal to the product of the component’s mole fraction in the solution and its equilibrium vapor pressure in the pure state
- saturated
- of concentration equal to solubility; containing the maximum concentration of solute possible for a given temperature and pressure
- semipermeable membrane
- a membrane that selectively permits passage of certain ions or molecules
- solubility
- extent to which a solute may be dissolved in water, or any solvent
- solvation
- exothermic process in which intermolecular attractive forces between the solute and solvent in a solution are established
- spontaneous process
- physical or chemical change that occurs without the addition of energy from an external source
- strong electrolyte
- substance that dissociates or ionizes completely when dissolved in water
- supersaturated
- of concentration that exceeds solubility; a nonequilibrium state
- Tyndall effect
- scattering of visible light by a colloidal dispersion
- unsaturated
- of concentration less than solubility
- van’t Hoff factor (i)
- the ratio of the number of moles of particles in a solution to the number of moles of formula units dissolved in the solution
- weak electrolyte
- substance that ionizes only partially when dissolved in water