biology question?

Question

What is the definition of the term PERCENT SATURATION??

Answer 1

Percent Saturation is the amount of oxygen dissolved in the water sample

Answer 2

Percent Saturation is not only the amount of oxygen dissolved. It means how saturated one substance can be with another. So in other words it is the percentage that something can be saturated. Typically this is a function of temperature and pressure.

You might ask why do you care and what does that mean. That means that you know how much of one substance you can add to another without forming what are known as precipitants. For example, you can poor a little salt into a clear transparent cup of water. You will notice that if you stir this small amount you will not be able to see the salt. However, if you continue to poor more salt then eventually no matter how much you stir, you will see salt granules.

Other terms relative to this subject is supersaturation. This is where you would poor and stir in something, say salt, into water at a higher temperature or lower pressure and then quickly place the salt water into a colder environment or higher pressure environment. Amazingly, you can exceed the typical percent saturation because of the chemistry involved.