Solution & Hydration

01Solution & Hydration

Enthalpy of solution

This section covers the standard enthalpy of solution, its equations and the possible signs of the enthalpy change.

Standard enthalpy of solution

Standard enthalpy of solution, ΔsolH\Delta_\mathrm{sol}H^\circ, is the enthalpy change for dissolving one mole of an ionic substance in enough water that the resulting solution is effectively infinitely dilute.

The symbol (aq) shows that a species is dissolved in water. The dissolved ions are treated as sufficiently separated that they do not interact significantly with one another.

For potassium chloride, the change can be represented by showing the dissolved formula or the separate aqueous ions:

Using the formula

KCl(s)+aqKCl(aq)\ce{KCl(s) + aq -> KCl(aq)}

Showing separate ions

KCl(s)+aqKX+(aq)+ClX(aq)\ce{KCl(s) + aq -> K+(aq) + Cl-(aq)}

The standard enthalpy of solution may be exothermic or endothermic, so ΔsolH\Delta_\mathrm{sol}H^\circ may have either a negative or a positive value.

Exam Tip: An enthalpy-of-solution equation must begin with one mole of the ionic solid and end with the correct aqueous species. Include the charges and state symbols on all ions.

Create a free account to continue

Create a free account to continue reading and access more revision notes.