WEEK 1 - General Chemistry II - Reply 1

Please reply to the following discussion. Participate in the discussion by asking a question or providing a statement of clarification, providing a point of view with a rationale, challenging an aspect of the discussion, or indicating a relationship between two or more lines of reasoning in the discussion. No reference is required. 

John C.

Electrolyte

I have seen numerous sports drinks use it as advertising lingo, where companies define it as an ingredient that helps keep the body hydrated. Notable drinks such as Gatorade, BodyArmor and Eletrolit (the last one being the most obvious due to its name) remind people that sweating after physical activity makes the body lose water and salt. Those products were quick solutions to replenish what is lost. Chemists observe electrolytes as compounds that dissolve into ions when put in a solution. Energy interactions are studied In thermodynamics, and electrolytes are seen having ionic attractions or dipole-dipole reactions with their solvent. Both everyday and scientific use identify them as ions, but common terminology specifies it as salt ions used in bodily functions. The scientific term includes electric conduction through solutions. Similarities reinforce the concept of natural balance, whether it is in physical health or mixture equilibriums. Those perspectives remind me about health sciences and how the human body regulates the body’s well being.

Solubility

I am most familiar with solubility in the way that you would add flavor packets to liquids and mix it until it is dispersed evenly, like the sugar in water example in the textbook. Products like Tang! (orange juice) and Nesquik (chocolate milk) were things I used, where sometimes I put too much into my drink! Either islands of powder lay on top of the liquid or the powder clumps at the bottom of the drink, only to become dry powder once it is in your mouth are strong memories. The world often sees this in the kitchen where the use of soup mixes or chicken bouillon have an easier/faster time being evenly mixed when the water is hotter than at room temperature. Chemistry solubility refers to the maximum amount of solute that can be in a solvent to achieve equilibrium. Further preparation of solutions will have varying effectiveness depending on that saturation level. In thermodynamics, patterns have been observed where gas solubility decreases with increasing temperature, while solid solubility generally increases with increasing temperature. Everyday and chemical use of solubility are similar in the way that it refers to the mixture of things. The public sees this in cooking, but chemistry observes it in relation to saturation when reaching equilibrium. When cooking is viewed as a type of applied chemistry, the similarities highlight how temperature can affect the level of saturation for compounds, potentially changing their overall properties (such as electric conductivity).