37.2: Introduction
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Solubility is a measure of how well a particular solvent is able to dissolve a particular solute, to break existing chemical bonds. The solubility of a solute depends on several factors. If a solute is successfully dissolved in a solvent to form a stable solution, which has the same appearance throughout, then the solute/solvent combination is classified as a homogeneous solution. If particles of solute remain visible in the solution, then the solute/solvent combination may be classified as a heterogeneous suspension unless the incomplete dissolving is a result of saturation. Saturation occurs when there is too much solute for the solvent to dissolve. A heterogeneous suspension and a saturated solution may have the same appearance. The level of concentration is a ratio of grams of solute to Liters of solvent.
Concentration:
\[\text {Concentration} = \dfrac {\text {Grams}}{\text {Liter}} \nonumber \]