How does the formation of ions in solution affect entropy?
1 Answer
When an ionic solute dissociates into its ions in a solution, the free ions are continually moving throughout as they are attracted and repulsed by the polar ends of the water molecules, therefore the solution is more disordered than a pure liquid and has higher entropy.
Explanation:
Entropy is a measure of the disorder or chaos in a system, and the more ions present in a solution the more disorder there will be.
Solids have the most order and least entropy. They are held in a crystal lattice or network.
Liquids have enough energy to flow around each other and take the shape of whatever container you put them in. This means they have higher entropy than solids.
When an ionic solute dissociates into its ions in a solution, the free ions are continually moving throughout as they are attracted and repulsed by the polar ends of the water molecules. The solution is more disordered than a pure liquid and has higher entropy.
Gases have the highest entropy. Gas molecules are in constant, random motion, colliding with each other and the container they are in.
Lowest Entropy Solid < Liquid < Solution < Gas Highest Entropy
