Module 4 Intro
1. Module 4 Intro
1.2. In this Module
Module 4—Properties of Solutions
In This Module
Lesson 1—Classifying Matter and Solutions
When you hear the term solution, you probably visualize all the cleaning supplies in your home. While it’s true these products are solutions, there are many other items around your home that are solutions as well! For example, a gold ring is a metal-metal solution called an alloy. In this lesson you will learn how to properly classify matter and solutions.
- What is a solution?
- What kind of mixture is a solution?
Lesson 2—Dissolving Substances
Dissolving a substance seems to be a very simple process when you observe it—simply throw a suitable solid into water and it disappears. However, the theoretical reasons for this process baffled scientists for centuries. In this lesson you will learn how Svante Arrhenius contributed to solution chemistry with his theories of electrolyte dissociation. You will also learn how bond energy plays a critical role in the dissolving process, allowing for the existence of products like cold packs and heat packs.
- How did Arrhenius contribute to the understanding of electrolytes, acids, and bases?
- What does it mean to dissolve a substance?
- What role does energy have in the dissolving of a substance?
Lesson 3—Solubility
This lesson discusses the qualitative aspects of solubility. Solutions are not capable of holding an unlimited amount of solute. At some point the solute will simply start collecting at the bottom of the container. There are many factors that can affect the solubility of a solid or a gas in solution, and you will learn about these factors both empirically and theoretically.
- What are saturated solutions?
- How can you predict the solubility of a substance in water?
- How is dynamic equilibrium involved when studying saturated solutions?
Lesson 4—Concentration I
Concentration is a quantitative aspect of solution chemistry that provides a comparison of the amount of solute to the amount of solution. There are many methods of expressing concentration in consumer products, and you will learn how and why these methods are used. You will also learn how concentration measurements are used in a wide variety of applications.
- How can the concentration of solute in a solution be expressed?
Lesson 5—Concentration II
Concentration must be expressed in a lab using moles rather than mass. Otherwise, mathematical relationships between the entities in a balanced chemical equation cannot be described in a straightforward manner. In this lesson you will learn how to calculate amount concentrations in a variety of situations. You will then learn how amount concentrations can be applied to dissociated ions, dilution, and solution preparation.
- How can the concentration of solute in a solution be expressed?
- How do you calculate amount concentration and determine concentration of species in a solution?
- How are solutions prepared in a lab?
Module Assessment
The assessment in this module consists of the following:
- Module 5: Lesson 1 Assignment
- Module 5: Lesson 3 Assignment
- Module 5: Lesson 5 Assignment
- Proactive Citizens Projects (two projects)
For the Proactive Citizen Projects, you will choose two of the topics listed in the Module 4 Summary and Assessment document and decide when you wish to complete them. You may wish to refer to the list of topics as you complete each lesson in the module. More information, including a list of topics and a scoring guide, is available in the Module 4 Summary and Assessment document.