Suggested time allotment: 5 to 6 hours

MODULE
SOLUTIONS
1
Overview

In Grade 6, you have learned about different mixtures and their

characteristics. You have done activities where you mixed a solid and a
liquid or combined two different liquids. In the process of mixing, you have
observed that these mixtures either form homogeneous or heterogeneous
mixtures. You have seen that when all parts of the mixture have the same
uniform appearance and properties, it is homogeneous.

You also learned that when different parts of the mixture can be
identified, it is heterogeneous. An example of a heterogeneous mixture is ice
cubes (solid phase) placed in a glass of soft drink (liquid phase). Different
phases can be identified. When all the ice cubes are melted, only one liquid
phase is seen. It is now homogeneous.

Homogeneous mixtures are called solutions. When you put sugar into
water, the solid becomes part of the liquid and cannot be seen. You can say
that the sugar dissolves in water or the sugar is soluble in water. Solutions
may be solids dissolved in liquids or gases dissolved in liquids. There are
also solutions where a gas is dissolved in another gas, a liquid in another
liquid or a solid in another solid. Gaseous, liquid, and solid solutions are all
around you. Many commercial products are sold as solutions.

In this module, you will identify common properties of solutions using

different methods. You will also learn how to report the amount of the
components in a given volume of solution. Towards the end of the module,
you will investigate the factors that affect how fast a solid dissolves in water.
At the end of Module 1, you will be able to answer the following key
questions.

What common properties do solutions have?

Are solutions always liquid?
Will all solids dissolve in water?
How fast do solids dissolve in water?
 Activity 1
What Solutions Do You Find In Your Home?
Objectives

After performing this activity, you should be able to:

1. describe the observable characteristics or properties of common

solutions found at home or in stores; and

2. present the data gathered in table form to show the different

properties of common solutions.

You may make a table similar to the one below.

Product or Solution Found Characteristics

at Home or in Stores

You noticed that you did not see solid particles or liquid droplets in the
samples of solutions. Most of the solutions, which are in liquid phase, are
colorless.

The solutions that you have observed consist of two components called
the solvent and the solute. Generally, the component present in small
amount is called the solute. The solute and the solvent dissolve in each
other. Usually the solvent is the component present in greater amount. So
in a sugar solution, sugar is the solute and water is the solvent.

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 You observed in Activity 1 that a solution is not always a liquid; it can be
solid, liquid, or gas. In addition, solutions may either be found in nature or
are manufactured.

Naturally Occurring Solutions

Examples of solutions that occur naturally are natural bodies of water

like the seas and ocean, blood plasma, air, and some mineral ores.

Many materials in nature can be used efficiently only when these are
in the form of solutions. For example, plants cannot absorb minerals from
the soil unless these minerals are in solution. Components of food that you
eat goes into solution during digestion. The nutrient particles in solution
can pass through the digestive tract and dissolve in the blood.

Seawater is a solution having a higher percentage of salt and minerals

than other sources of water like ground water or rivers. Rainwater is a
solution containing dissolved gases like oxygen and carbon dioxide. The
water you drink contains dissolved minerals like sodium, potassium,
magnesium and calcium and dissolved gases like oxygen and carbon
dioxide.

Air is a mixture of gases. Dry air consists of about 78% nitrogen, 21%
oxygen, 1% argon, about 1% water vapor, 0.04% carbon dioxide and traces
of argon, helium, neon, krypton, and xenon. Water vapor is present in
different amounts depending on the location. Air above big bodies of water
contains more water vapor than air above deserts. Humidity is a measure of
the amount of water vapor in air.

Useful solutions are found not only in nature; many solutions are
made for a specific purpose.

Manufactured/Processed Solutions

Almost every household uses vinegar for cooking and cleaning

purposes. Vinegar usually contains about 5% acetic acid in water. Some
vinegar are clear homogeneous mixtures. Other kinds of vinegar are
colloidal.

Gasoline is a solution made up of different substances called

hydrocarbons. It is important that gasoline contains no solid particles that
may clog the vehicle engine.

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 A metal alloy is a solid solution made up of two or more metals or non
metals. For example, steel is an alloy of copper and tin. Brass is an alloy of
copper and zinc.

Other examples of solutions that are processed include wine and

liquor, brewed coffee and tea.

In the next activity, you will predict what will happen when you mix a
sample solid or liquid in a given volume of water. Investigate to find out if
your predictions are correct. Explain your predictions using the evidence
you have gathered from your investigation.

Activity 2

What are the properties of solutions?

When you finish this activity you should be able to:

1. compare the evidence gathered with the predictions you made; and
2. describe the properties of solutions based on observations.

Materials Needed:

 6 cups water
 6 pieces, spoons
 cheesecloth (katsa) or filter paper
 2 tablespoons each of the following: sugar, salt, mongo seeds,
powdered juice, cooking oil, vinegar
 12 clear bottles or cups
 2 pieces each, measuring spoons (½ tsp and 1tsp)
 2 pieces each, measuring cups (½ cup and 1cup)
 3 funnels or improvised funnel made from 500 mL plastic bottle
 1 funnel rack

Procedure:

1. Predict which among the given samples will dissolve in water. Write your
predictions in column 2 of Table 1.

2. Put one cup of water in each of the cups.

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3. Add ½ teaspoon of each of the six samples. Use the teaspoon to dissolve
as much of each sample as possible. Use a different teaspoon for each of
the cups.

Q1. Describe the mixture that resulted after mixing. Write your answer in
column 3.

Q2. How many phases do you observe? Write your answer in column 4.

Q3. Identify the solute in each of the mixtures. Write your answers in the
blank: ____________________________________________________________

____________________________________________________________________

Q4. What is the solvent in each of the mixtures? ______________________

Table 1. Data table for Activity 2

(1) (2) (3) (4) (5) (6)

Will Appearance Number of Can be Solution
Sample dissolve in phases separated by or not?
solid or 1 cup water filtration
liquid (yes or no) (yes or no)
Sugar
Salt
Mongo
seeds
Powdered
juice
Cooking oil
Vinegar

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3. Filter the mixture with filter paper using a setup similar to Figure 1.

Figure 1. A filtration setup. The

funnel is supported on an iron
ring and the filtrate is received in
another container.*

* Philippines. Department of Education. (2004). Chemistry: Science and Technology

textbook for 3rd year. (Revised ed.). Quezon City: Author.

Q4. In which mixture were you able to separate the components (solute and
solvent) by filtration? Write your observations in column 5 of Table 1.

Q5. Which of the samples are solutions? Write your answer in column 6.

In Activity 2, you found out that a solution is formed when a solute

dissolves in a solvent to form a single phase that appears uniform
throughout. A solution is clear. In a solution, the particles are too small
that they cannot be seen by the unaided eye. The particles in solution are
smaller than the pores of the filter paper or the cheesecloth and so these
can pass through the filter.

Each part of a solution retains its characteristic properties. When the

sugar solution is filtered, the filtrate tastes sweet. The sweetness of sugar is
present in any part of the sugar solution.

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 Based on the results of Activity 2, there are common properties that
solutions have.

Based on the two activities you have done, can you conclude that
solutions have the following characteristics?

1. It is homogeneous. It is a mixture of one phase only. The

components are so well mixed that all parts of the solution
appear the same. Solutions have the same composition and
properties throughout.

2. The solute cannot be separated from the solvent through

filtration because these are so small that they pass through the
filter paper or cheesecloth.

3. A solution is often clear and transparent.

There are other ways of identifying a solution. You will learn these
methods in Grades 8 and 9.

In Activity 3, you will find out how much solute can dissolve in a given
amount of solvent and find out the type of solution based on whether there
is excess solute or not.

At higher grade levels, you will learn more of the detailed processes
that happen when a solute dissolves in a solvent.

Activity 3
Can You Tell the Difference Between Solutions by the
Way They Look?

After performing this activity you will be able to:

1. determine how much a solid solute dissolves in the same volume or

amount of water; and
2. find out patterns observed from a data table.

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Materials Needed

 6 teaspoons sugar
 2 cups of water
 2 measuring cups (1cup capacity)
 2 measuring spoons for the following: ½ tsp
 clear, transparent bottle
 stirrer

Procedure:

1. Put 20 mL of water in a small clear transparent bottle. Add ½ teaspoon

of sugar and stir until all the sugar dissolves.

2. To the sugar solution in step #1, add ½ teaspoon sugar, a small portion
at a time and stir the solution to dissolve the sugar. At this point, you
have added 1 teaspoon sugar.

3. Add ½ teaspoon of sugar to the sugar solution in step #2 and stir the
solution. At this point, you have added one and ½ teaspoons of sugar.

4. Continue adding ½ teaspoon sugar to the same cup until the added
sugar no longer dissolves.

Q1. How many teaspoons of sugar did you add to 1 cup of water until the
sugar no longer dissolves? __________

NOTE: In this step, you will observe that there is already excess sugar
which did not dissolve.

Q2. What is the maximum amount of sugar that will completely dissolve
in a cup of water? ____________

In this activity, you have observed that there is a maximum amount of

solute that can dissolve in a given amount of solvent at a certain
temperature. This is what is called the solubility of the solute.

From your everyday experience, you observe that there is a limit to the
amount of sugar you can dissolve in a given amount of water. Solubility
changes with temperature. Your solutions in Activity 3 were at room

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temperature. How fast these solutions will dissolve in water may change if
you either increase or decrease the temperature.

The solution that contains the maximum amount of solute dissolved by a

given amount of solvent is called a saturated solution. If you add more
solute to the solvent, it will no longer dissolve. The solution has reached its
saturation point. The presence of an excess solid which can no longer
dissolve is an evidence that the solution is saturated.

1. Is there any container where all solids dissolved? Which container is

this?

A solution is unsaturated when it contains less solute than the

maximum amount it can dissolve at a given temperature. In Activity 3, it is
difficult to conclude that the containers with all solids dissolved are
unsaturated simply by observing them. Some of these may already hold the
maximum amount of solute, which cannot be observed by the unaided eye.
So, these are classified as saturated solutions.

A more measurable way to find out the solubility of a solute is to

determine the maximum amount that can be dissolved in 100 g of solvent at
a specific temperature. There are available data from chemistry books that
give the solubility of common solutes at particular temperatures. Figure 2
shows the solubility of table salt at 25oC.

Figure 2. At 25oC, a saturated solution of table salt has only

36.0 g (3 tablespoons) dissolved in 100 mL of water. Any
additional table salt will no longer dissolve.

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Concentration of Solutions

The concentration describes the relative amounts of solute and solvent

in a given volume of solution. When there is a large amount of dissolved
solute for a certain volume of solvent, the solution is concentrated. A dilute
solution has a small amount of dissolved solute in comparison to the
amount of solvent.

You will be able to distinguish between concentrated and dilute

solutions from a simple demonstration your teacher will perform. You will
describe the concentrations of solutions qualitatively (by simply observing
their appearance) and quantitatively (by comparing the number of drops per
volume of water).

From Part 1 of the demonstration, you were able to describe the

solutions as having quantitative concentrations of 1 drop/50 mL and 10
drops/50 mL. Qualitatively, you were able to distinguish the bottle with 10
drops/50 mL more concentrated (darker) than the bottle with 1 drop/50 mL.

Now that you have distinguished dilute from concentrated solutions

qualitatively and quantitatively from your teacher’s demonstration, you can
express concentration in other ways such as:

(1) percent by volume, which is the amount of solute in a given

volume of solution expressed as grams solute per 100 millliter of
solution (g/100 mL), and

(2) percent by mass, which is the amount of solute in a given mass of

solvent expressed as grams solute per 100 grams of solution.

Labels of products sold often show the concentrations of solutes

expressed as percent (%) by volume or mass. The alcohol used as a
disinfectant is a solution of 70% ethyl or isopropyl alcohol, meaning 70 mL
alcohol. There are also solutions sold as 40% ethyl or isopropyl alcohol.

Vinegar is often labeled as “5% acidity,” which means that it contains 5

grams of acetic acid in 100 g of vinegar. The common antiseptic, agua
oxinada is a 3% solution, that is 3 grams hydrogen peroxide in 100 mL
water.

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 The concentration of solid solutions, like gold jewelry, is expressed as
karat. Pure gold is referred to as 24 karats. Jewelry that is said to be 18
karats contains 18 grams of gold for every 24 grams of the material, 6 grams
consist of the other metal like copper or silver. This material has a
concentration of 75% gold, that is, [18/24(100)]. A 14 karat (14K) gold
contains 14 grams gold and 10 grams of another metal, making it 58.3%
gold.

The following sample problems show you that there is a way to know the
exact ratio of solute to solvent, which specifies the concentration of a
solution.

Sample problem 1

How many mL of ethyl alcohol are present in a 50 mL bottle of rubbing

alcohol?

Calculation for sample problem 1

Since rubbing alcohol contains 70% ethyl alcohol, it means that 100
mL of rubbing alcohol contains 70 mL ethyl alcohol. So, the following
calculations show that in 50 mL of rubbing alcohol, there is 35 mL ethyl
alcohol. The water content is most likely more. There is no easy way to
determine but it would be incorrect to say that it has 15 mL water.

70 mL ethyl alcohol
50 mL rubbing alcohol x = 35 mL ethyl alcohol
100 mL rubbing alcohol

All portions of a solution have the same concentration. The

composition of one part is also the same as the composition of the other
parts. But you can change the concentration of solutions. This means you
can prepare different solutions of sugar in water of different concentrations
(for example, 10%, 20%, or 30%). In the same way, you can prepare different
solutions of salt in water.

Sample problem 2

A one peso coin has a mass of 5.5 grams. How many grams of copper
are in a one peso coin containing 75% copper by mass?

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Calculation for sample problem 2

75% by mass means 75 grams of copper in 100 grams of one peso

coin.

So, a 5.5 grams coin contains,

75 g copper
x 5.5 g coin = 4.1 g copper
100 g coin

In activities 4 to 6, you will investigate some factors that affect how

fast a solid solute dissolves in a given volume of water.

Factors Affecting How Fast Solid Solute Dissolves

The Effect of Stirring

Your teacher demonstrated the effect of stirring in mixing a solid in

water. You observed that stirring makes the solid dissolve faster in the
solvent. Were you able to explain why this is so?

The Effect of Particle Size

In Activity 4, you will investigate how the size of the solid being
dissolved affects how fast it dissolves in water.

Activity 4
Size Matters!

1. Write a hypothesis in a testable form. Describe a test you could conduct

to find out which dissolves faster: crystals of table salt or the same
amount of crushed salt.

2. Identify variables (for example, amount of table salt) that you need to
control in order to have a fair test.

3. Identify the dependent and independent variables.

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4. List all the materials you need, including the amount and ask these from
your teacher.

5. Be sure to record your observations and tabulate them. Write everything

you observed during the dissolving test.

6. What is your conclusion? Does the size of the solid being dissolved affect
the how fast it mixes with water?

7. Does your conclusion support or reject your hypothesis?

8. Based on what you know about dissolving, try to explain your results.

To help you explain the process of dissolving, imagine that in a solution,

the particles of the solute (table salt) and the solvent (water) are constantly
moving. Water particles collide everywhere along the surface of the particles
of table salt, especially on the corners and edges. Why do you think so?

Can you now explain why smaller pieces of salt dissolve faster than
larger ones? You may use an illustration or diagram in your explanation.

The Effect of Temperature

Activity 5 will let you investigate how fast coffee or powdered juice
dissolves in cold and in hot water.

Activity 5
How Fast Does Coffee Dissolve in Hot Water? In Cold
Water?

1. Discuss how your group mates how you will do your investigation. Write
your hypothesis in a testable form. Describe a test you could conduct to
find out how fast coffee dissolves in cold and in hot water.

2. Identify variables (for example, amount of amount of coffee) that you need
to control in order to have a fair test.

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3. Identify the dependent and independent variables.

4. List all the materials you need, including the amount and ask these from
your teacher.

5. Do your investigation using the proper measuring devices. Be sure to

record your observations and tabulate them. Write everything you
observed during the dissolving test. These observations are the evidence
from which you can draw your conclusions.

6. Identify variables (for example, amount of amount of coffee or powdered

juice) that you need to control in order to have a fair test.

7. Identify the dependent and independent variables.

8. List all the materials you need, including the amount and ask these from
your teacher.

9. Do your investigation using the proper measuring devices. Be sure to

record your observations and tabulate them. Write everything you
observed during the dissolving test. These observations are the evidence
from which you can draw your conclusions.

10. What is your conclusion? Does coffee dissolve faster in cold or in hot
water? Use the observations and results you recorded to explain your
answer.

11. Does your conclusion support or reject your hypothesis? Explain your
results.

12. What is your conclusion? Does coffee dissolve faster in cold or in hot
water? Use the observations and results you recorded to explain your
answer.

13. Does your conclusion support or reject your hypothesis? Explain your
results.

The Nature of Solute

In Activity 6, you will find out if: (1) sugar dissolves faster in hot than in
cold water, and (2) salt dissolves faster in hot than in cold water.

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Activity 6
Which Dissolves Faster in Hot and in Cold Water:
Sugar or Salt?

1. Discuss with your group mates how you will do your investigation.

2. Write your hypothesis in a testable form. Describe a test you could

conduct to find out answers to the given two questions above.

3. Identify variables (for example, amount of amount of coffee) that you need
to control in order to have a fair test.

4. Identify the dependent and independent variables.

5. List all the materials you need, including the amount and ask these from
your teacher.

6. Do your investigation using the proper measuring devices. Be sure to

record your observations and tabulate them. Write everything you
observed during the dissolving test. These observations are the evidence
from which you can draw your conclusions.

7. What is your conclusion? Does coffee dissolve faster in cold or in hot

water? Use the observations and results you recorded to explain your
answer.

8. Does your conclusion support or reject your hypothesis? Explain your

results.

The following questions can guide you:

a. Does sugar dissolve faster in hot water than in cold water?

Explain your answer, based on your observations from the
investigation.

b. Does salt dissolve faster in hot than in cold water? Explain your
answer, based on your observations from the investigation.

c. Which is affected most by increasing the temperature of the

water—how fast salt dissolves or how fast sugar dissolves?
Explain your answer.

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 You learned from Activity 5 that in general, a solute dissolves faster in
water when you increase the temperature. But the effect of temperature is
not that simple. The type or nature of the solute will affect how fast it
dissolves in water.

You observed from Activity 6 that increasing the temperature either

makes a solid dissolve faster or slower in water. For some solutes,
increasing the temperature does not have any effect on how fast the solute
dissolves.

Now that you have completed the activities in this module, you have
learned the properties of a solution, the ways of reporting its concentration,
as well as the effects of stirring, particle size, temperature, and type of
solute on how fast a solid dissolves in water.

While learning about solutions, you also had the chance to gather
information and gain new knowledge through the process of conducting
science investigations. You also learned the importance of identifying the
variables that had to be controlled in order to make a good plan for
measuring and testing the variables you are concerned about.

What you have started doing in these investigations is what scientists

usually do when they seek answers to a scientific question or problem. In
the next modules, you will be challenged to ask more questions about
materials around you. You will try to explain answers to your hypothesis
(your suggested explanation) after you have done your investigation.

References and Links

Brady, J.E. & Senese, F. (2004). Chemistry: Matter and its changes, 4th
edition. River Street Hoboken, NJ: John Wiley & Sons, Inc.

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Bucat, R.B. (Ed.) (1984). Elements of chemistry: Earth, air, fire & water,
Volume 2. Canberra City, A.C.T., Australia.

Elvins, C., Jones, D., Lukins, N., Miskin, J., Ross, B., & Sanders, R. (1990).
Chemistry one: Materials, chemistry in everyday life. Port Melbourne,
Australia: Heinemann Educational Australia.

Hill, J.W. & Kolb, D.K. (1998). Chemistry for changing times, 8th
edition.Upper Saddle River, NJ: Prentice Hall.

Kurtus, Ron (13 January 2006). Mixtures. Retrieved Jan 9, 2012 from
http://www.school-for-champions.com/chemistry/mixtures.htm

Philippines. Department of Education. (2004).Chemistry: Science and

technology textbook for 3rd year. (Revised ed.). Quezon City: Author.

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