Figure 4.04. Chemical compositions of mixtures of water and halite (NaCl) in Figure 4.03 shown on a graph of weight percent NaCl vs. temperature. The solutions were all made at 21°C. The dashed line separates the mixtures with brines that are saturated with halite from the mixtures with brines that are not saturated with halite.
Section 4.2: Saturated Solutions (continued)
Detailed measurements by several sceintists found the weight percent of NaCl in a halite saturated solution at 21°C to be 26.19, so our simple experiment did a good job of bracketting the saturation composition between 23 and 28 weight percent NaCl. Based on your previous knowledge of salt solutions, there is more that you can say about the samples. What do you know about the chemical composition of the brines for the three mixtures to the right of the line that are saturated with halite? Assume chemical equilibrium. Please make a choice from the following list and press "Enter":
Yes! All H2O-NaCl solutions saturated with halite have the same composition (at the same temperature), regardless of how much excess halite is present.
No. All H2O-NaCl solutions with halite remaining at equilibrium are saturated with halite and have the same composition (weight percent NaCl) at the same temperature, regardless of how much excess halite is present.