Have you ever added a spoon of sugar to water and noticed that it dissolves easily? That’s because the water still has room to dissolve more sugar. In chemistry, we call this kind of mixture an unsaturated solution.

Understanding unsaturated solutions is helpful not just for exams but also for real life. From the drinks we enjoy to the medicines we take, unsaturated solutions are all around us. In this article, we’ll break down what they are, how they’re made, and why they matter.

What is Unsaturated Solution?

It is a type of solution where the concentration of solute is less than the saturation point of solvent at that specific temperature gradient. There is a scope to dissolve more solute in this type of solution. In this type of solution, the crystallisation rate is less than the dissolution rate.

All saturated solutions are made up of unsaturated solutions by adding more and more solvent until it reaches their saturation point. Precipitates do not remain at the bottom, and all the solute is dissolved in the solvent. A saturated solution, on heating, becomes unsaturated in the sense that it can dissolve more of the same solute.

What type of solution is unsaturated? Here are some examples of unsaturated solutions in daily life are

• A teaspoon of sugar dissolved in a cup of hot tea.
• Mist is also an example of this type of solution.
• A teaspoon of salt dissolved in water.
• Acetic acid dissolved in water (Vinegar).

Preparation of Unsaturated Solutions

It is very simple to prepare unsaturated solutions. Firstly, add a solute to the solvent, and the solute will start to dissolve. When the solute is completely dissolved, and the concentration of solute is less than the saturation point of the solvent, this type of solution that we will get is called an unsaturated solution. In an unsaturated condition, the concentration of the solute is way lower than the equilibrium. Each solute has its own specific limit with respect to its solvent. The saturation point is where the solvent and the solute attend the equilibrium.

For example, take a glass of water and add a teaspoon of sugar to it. The sugar will start dissolving, and there will form a solution that is unsaturated.

Characteristics of Unsaturated Solutions

Some main characteristics of an unsaturated solution are

• The concentration of solute is less than the saturation point of solvent at that specific temperature gradient.
• Precipitates do not remain at the bottom, and all the solute is dissolved in the solvent.
•  In this type of solution, the rate of crystallisation is less than the rate of dissolution.
• These solutions are highly reactive.
• This type of solution is stable.

Example of Unsaturated Solution 

A teaspoon of sugar dissolved in a cup of hot tea. Sugar dissolved in water is an unsaturated solution if the quantity of the dissolved sugar is below the saturation point. 

• Mist is also an example of this type of solution. These are tiny droplets that remain hanging in the air and therefore. Forms an unsaturated solution. 
• A teaspoon of salt dissolved in water. Salt, like sugar, can also be considered an unsaturated solution only if it remains dissolved under saturation. 

Applications of Unsaturated Solution

Difference Between Saturated and Unsaturated Solution

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