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Solubility, solutes, solvents and solutions

Science presenter Jon Chase demonstrates that a large piece of expanded polystyrene will dissolve in a very small volume of propanone. He defines the terms solute, solvent and solution.

By dissolving sugar into cups of tea, Jon demonstrates that solutions can become saturated. When one of the cups is then cooled down, some of the sugar recrystallises, demonstrating that the solubility of most solids increases with temperature. But most gases become less soluble at higher temperature, and Jon demonstrates how to use this principle to make clear ice cubes.

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5 minutes

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