The Concept Of Solubility And Its Relation To Stone Formation In Our Bodies

Is dissolution just about getting a solid to be one with its solvent?

Photo by Michal Wozniak on Unsplash

The word “solubility” can be thought of as a blending of the words “soluble” (dissolve) and “ability”. The solubility of a substance (or solute), therefore, refers to its ability to dissolve in a certain liquid (or solvent). The solubility of a substance can be visually represented as in the Youtube video below:

How do we know, then, when a solvent is saturated with a certain solute?

We can see excess undissolved solute precipitating out as solids.

That’s the mechanism as to how different stones will start forming in our bodies, whether they be kidney or gallstones!

The concept of the solubility product

It is said in this online textbook that:

The solubility product constant, Ksp​, is the equilibrium constant for a solid substance dissolving in an aqueous solution…