Solutions

Solutions

Solutions are homogeneous mixtures of two or more substances. In civil engineering, solutions are crucial for understanding concrete mixtures, environmental remediation, and corrosion processes.

Concentration Units

Quantifying the amount of solute in a solution is essential for chemical analysis.

Common Concentration Units

  • Molarity (M): Moles of solute per liter of solution. M=moles of soluteliters of solutionM = \frac{\text{moles of solute}}{\text{liters of solution}}
  • Molality (m): Moles of solute per kilogram of solvent. m=moles of solutekg of solventm = \frac{\text{moles of solute}}{\text{kg of solvent}}
  • Normality (N): Equivalents of solute per liter of solution. N=M×number of reactive groups (H+or OH)N = M \times \text{number of reactive groups (H}^+ \text{or OH}^- \text{)}
  • Parts Per Million (ppm): Mass of solute per million mass units of solution. ppm=mass of solutemass of solution×106\text{ppm} = \frac{\text{mass of solute}}{\text{mass of solution}} \times 10^6 For dilute aqueous solutions, 1ppm1mg/L1 \, \text{ppm} \approx 1 \, \text{mg/L}.

Dilution Calculations

Preparing solutions of a specific concentration from a stock solution.

M1V1=M2V2M_1 V_1 = M_2 V_2

  • M: Molarity
  • V: Volume

Colligative Properties

Properties that depend on the concentration of solute particles, not their identity.

Boiling Point Elevation and Freezing Point Depression

Adding a solute raises the boiling point and lowers the freezing point of the solvent.

ΔTb=iKbm\Delta T_b = i K_b m ΔTf=iKfm\Delta T_f = i K_f m

  • ii: Van 't Hoff factor (number of particles the solute dissociates into).
    • For NaCl, i2i \approx 2. For Glucose, i=1i = 1.
  • Kb,KfK_b, K_f: Boiling/Freezing point constants (e.g., Water: Kb=0.512K_b=0.512, Kf=1.86K_f=1.86).
  • mm: Molality.
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