What happens if you add solid NaCl after the saturation point has been reached?
Physics · Middle School · Thu Feb 04 2021
Answered on
When solid sodium chloride (NaCl) is added to a solution that has already reached saturation point, the additional NaCl will not dissolve in the solution. The saturation point of a solution is defined as the maximum amount of solute (in this case, NaCl) that can be dissolved in a solvent (usually water) at a given temperature and pressure. Once saturation has been reached, the solution cannot dissolve any more solute, and any additional NaCl added will remain as a solid at the bottom of the container. This excess solid NaCl is said to be in equilibrium with the dissolved ions in the saturated solution, meaning that while some NaCl molecules might dissolving into the water, an equal number of dissolved NaCl molecules will precipitate out from solution, maintaining a constant concentration of dissolved NaCl.