why do people say "over-saturated"?

Question

when the word is meaningless, since saturated means 100% saturation...something is either saturated or it isnt

celine: super-saturated is not over-saturated it is simply changing the saturation point using pressure or temperature...

Answer 1

i think what celine is trying to explain about super saturation is the phenomenon where if you heat a salt solution so that more salt can be dissolved in water, and then cool it to where the saturation point is less than what it was when you dissolved the salt, it won't crystalize. then its a super-saturated solution. the saturation point was changed, and then brought back again, but nothing precipitated out of solution. to bring the solution back to just being saturated you have to shake the container, or there must be a scratch on the inner surface so a crystal can form. this is really cool to watch because suddenly you get tons of crystals forming all over the place. although you need to use a container that has a flawless inside surface without corners. remember, crystals need a place to form.

the same concept is for superheating water. if you heat (distilled so there are NO impurities) water quickly enough, it will not boil, and you can heat it past its boiling point. only when you create a surface for water bubbles to form will the water boil. but then its explosive boiling and is very dangerous. still very cool to watch though. this somtimes happens in micrwaves, which is why you have to be very careful about heating bottled (or any pure) water in a microwave.

Answer 2

Actually it is quite possible because in chemistry class last year I learned about super-saturated solution which is the same thing as over-saturated. When a solution is saturated as you said it means it is 100% saturated as in it can't hold anymore. For example if you have a mixture of salt and water, and you keep adding salt. There will be a point when the salt won't be able to dissolve anymore so it will go sit right on the bottom. At this point the solution is saturated. But, if you increase the temperature as in you boil the solution the excess amount of salt on the bottom will dissolve, and you could still add more. That's when you come to have an over saturated solution. So basically something is over-saturated when it can't hold anymore, but you force it by a process or another to receive more.
Hope that answered your question.

Answer 3

Consider the fact that (without over thinking it), most soft drink producers can sell their products with the line: 100% FAT FREE!!! Coke doesn't have fat. Neither does Pepsi, or most major soft drinks. If they start their new campaign, people will buy because we are ignorant idiots. That is why people use the term over-saturated even though it is impossible.

Answer 4

Whats saturated with water standing on top?

Answer 5

well if you drop water on a cloth untill it becomes saturated,and then continue to drop water on an already saturated cloth you are clearly guilty of over saturating the cloth

Answer 6

you really have a good point, i never thought of that. people also say twice in a row when i don't think any 2 times is enough to be considerd in a row

Answer 7

well if you really want the truth what they mean is and you must realize that they really only say it in referal to you

Answer 8

For the same reason they say "irregardless".

Answer 9

That's verbiage.