Experiment: To Find Out if it is Always Possible for Substances to Dissolve

Soluble or Insoluble

Purpose: To find out if it is always possible for substances to dissolve.

Hypothesis: I think the possibility of a solute dissolving, all depends on the type of solvent.(E.g. Water-pure substance international solvent, soap-already a solution). I think because water is a pure substance, it will be easier for solutes to dissolve in it. The thickness of the solvent may affect the dissolving process of the solute but maybe not by much.

Materials:

 4 transparent plastic cups or beakers

 pen or marker

 4 labels

 measuring spoons

 water

 vegetable oil

 salt

 sugar

 4 stir sticks

Procedure:

1. Make a table for your observations similar to the one shown below.

Container Solvent Solute Observations

A

B

C

D

2. Label the 4 containers (i.e., plastic cups or beakers) A, B, C, and D.

3. Use a measuring spoon to pour 5 mL of water into containers A and B.

4. Dry the measuring spoon, and then pour the same amount (5 mL) of vegetable oil into containers C and D.

5. Predict whether each of the solutes will dissolve in one, both, or neither of the solvents. Record your predictions in your notebook. 6. Use a measuring spoon to add 2 mL of salt to containers A and C, and then add 2 mL of sugar to containers Band D.

7. Using separate stir sticks, stir each mixture and carefully observe the contents of each container to determine if some of each of the solutes has dissolved. Record your observations in the table.

8. Once you are done, clean up the materials as directed by your teacher and wash your hands thoroughly. Observation:

Container Solvent Solute Observations

A Water Sugar Crystals The sugar dissolved in 2 minutes. I wasn't stirring the solution, the solution was created through the diffusion proces...

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... mixtures are formed when oil is the solvent is because oil is made from non polar molecules that aren't chemically bonded (opposite of water). It also doesn't create homogeneous solutions with salt and sugar is because it is too heavy and there are other particle attractions already formed, so when salt and sugar are poured into the oil(solvent), the particles aren't able to form attractions. In conclusion, I am going to repeat my hypothesis and say that the dissolvability of a solute into a solvent all depends on the solvent and the molecules in the in the solvent. Also, I conclude that substances dissolve into solvents that are already pure with spaces to allow the attractions to happen.

Sources: https://water.usgs.gov/edu/qa-solvent.html

http://wiki.answers.com/Q/Why_doesn't_oil_mix_with_anything#slide=2&article=Why_doesn't_oil_mix_with_water