Hmmmmmmm

[Curran c doddabele]

How come when u dissolve salt in a liquid it occupies the space between the molecules of water after a certain extent the salt stops dissolving because there is no space between the water molecules so why doesn't the water turn to solid

Edited January 28, 2011 by Curran c doddabele

[mississippichem]

Stuff doesn't stop dissolving because there is no room left for solutes. It's that there is not much room left to form adequate hydration shells. Most metal ions in water have an octahedrally cited shell of six water molecules coordinated to the central ion. Some metals can take hydration shells of up to 12 water molecules. There are other considerations as well, like the ionic radius of the metal which in turn has an effect on the dielectric properties of the solution. This can go on to be a limiter to the density of charge that can be built up in solution.

 

You will notice, however, that more salt can be dissolved in hot water than cold. Proving that there is in act some room left over in saturated solution at room temperature. Solution and colligative properties are often hard to extrapolate out far because, though seemingly simple, they are often highly non-linear. At high concentrations many solutions of salts form a plethora of colloidal forms and partially separated phases that are just down right hard to predict unless one is familiar with that compound.

 

Not to mention that the equilibrium calculated concentration of a solute becomes less and less accurate as the concentration approaches saturation levels. [ce] \gamma [/ce]-coefficients must be accounted for as well as the kinetics of the possible colloidal phases.

 

Short answer: water doesn't turn into a solid because, though the hydration shells are ordered, they are not ordered enough to allow water molecules to be low entropy enough to stay in a crystal. Plus, at room temperature and pressure water just can't exist as a solid, but that answer isn't very satisfying is it?

Edited January 28, 2011 by mississippichem

[Mr Skeptic]

In fact, salt makes water even harder to freeze.