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AAT Bioquest

How does temperature affect solubility?

Posted March 17, 2023


Answer

Temperature has a direct effect on solubility – the higher the temperature the higher the solubility of a solute. There are two ways that higher temperature increases the solubility of a solute. The first is by increasing the movement of the solute particles. The faster the solute particles move, the better their chances of interacting with more solvent particles, thus increasing the rate at which they are able to form a solution. The second way that a higher temperature increases solubility is by weakening the intermolecular forces of the solute particles. The weaker the intermolecular forces, the more easily they can be broken, resulting in a stronger attraction between the solvent and solute particles and increasing solubility. Temperature has the opposite effect on solubility of gases. As the temperature increases, gases expand and escape from their solvent, decreasing their solubility.

Additional resources

Effect of storage temperature on sealing ability and solubility of white mineral trioxide aggregate

Solubility Reference Table

Serial Dilution Calculator and Planner