Answer to Question #302113 in General Chemistry for Hutchii

Question

What do you think happens to the property of a liquid once a solid is dissolved in it?

Answer 1

The property changes, color can change, density increase, sometimes volume changes and mass also.

When a solid dissolves, the solid (solute) and the liquid (solvent) combine to form a solution, which is an extremely close intimate mixing. Unless the solid is colored, the solution will appear to be the same as the beginning liquid. A multitude of procedures, however, can be used to confirm the solid's presence. Taste can indicate the existence of a solid in some circumstances, such as salt or sugar. Evaporation of the liquid, on the other hand, should leave a solid residue. Because the mixing is so thorough, particles in a solution will pass through most filter paper, making filtering impossible to separate the combination.