What happens when one attempts to dissolve two solutes in one solvent? Is it possible for the soluability of either one or both to change after the latter is added? Isn’t this because there is less available room between solvent’s molecules to “store” the ions of the two solvents? For example, I seem to recall that both salt and alcohol are soluable in water, but the first solute added can reduce the amount typically soluable of the second solute, correct?
My wife attempted to make homemade chocolate ice cream using Splenda instead of sugar, but it came out gritty - highly apparent from undissolved particles of cocoa from the baker’s chocolate. She claims the whole thing dissolved when making it, and she followed the recipe exactly other than switching splenda for sugar. Isn’t this one possibility? Two solutes…? Of course, the change in temperature while freezing the batch complicates matters further…and she never tried the recipe before. (I told her she needs a baseline to eliminiate too many variables.)
Any chemists know what might be happening here with mulitple solutes in one solvent? - Jinx
In general, yes one substance can affect another’s solubility. There are a couple of factors you have ot take into account. The first is common ions. It you dissolve, lets say… table salt, NaCl, in water, then add some KCl, the KCl won’t dissolve as much as expected because tehre is already Cl in the water. In many ways, this is a result of equilibrium. Try looking up LeChatlier’s principle (not sure if I spelled that correctly).
It is also true that solvent molecules can be ‘used up.’ Each water molecule can only surround a finite number of particles.
Then, there is also PH as a factor. If you place an acidic compound in a solution that is already acidic, then it won’t dissolve as much. This might affect things you wouldn’t expect - like flourine ions for example. Flourine ions are weak bases because they can bond with hydrogen ions in solution.
As for the ice cream, I have no idea. I’m not much of a cook.
Ice cream can be tricky even when you follow the recipe exactly. It might help to look at these recipes for Splenda based ice cream. More in these search results.
Another thing is that while two things may be individually soluble, they may precipitate something else when mixed. e.g. some of either Ca(NO3)2 or Na2SO4 will dissolve in water, but if you try to dissolve both in the same water CaSO4 will precipitate out.
There’s also the more likely possibility of chemical reaction (either with one of the other ingredients or a decomposition/rearrangement) of the splenda, which would change its solubility significantly…