Solubility: Finding Without Boiling Water

[Char. Limit]

Is there any method to find the solubility of a substance in solution... without boiling the water out of the solution? In other words, can you find the solubility of a substance in solution while somehow keeping it in solution (far less dangerous)?

 

[hamster143]

By solubility, do you mean concentration?

For many common substances, you should be able to find curves that connect concentration and specific gravity. It is easy to measure specific gravity of the solution by the means of a hydrometer or a sensitive scale. Another method is to measure the refractive index, that works best for substances whose native refractive indices are substantially different from that of water.

 

[Char. Limit]

No, I really do mean solubility in water, unfortunately.

 

[hamster143]

What's wrong with taking a fixed volume of water and gradually adding the substance till you obtain a saturated solution?

 

[Char. Limit]

The substance (H3PO3) is already in solution, and my chemistry teacher warned me that getting it to pure form could be dangerous, what with there being phosphorus and all.

So I have no pure form, and was warned that boiling the solution to get pure form could be dangerous.

 

[Char. Limit]

I have good news!

The product arrived today, and contrary to what we thought, it was in pure form! My culminating project is being done tomorrow. Wish me luck!

 

[Borek]

Somehow I have missed the thread earlier - if it is just a phosphoric acid, simple titration would do the trick:

determination of phosphoric acid by acid-base titration

 

[Char. Limit]

Not phosphoric - phosphorous.

Everything went well!

 

[Borek]

Yep, sorry. Still - acid base titration was an easy way to go.

 

[Char. Limit]

I'm just glad that my chemistry teacher pronounced my actual work good, and my big problem... is explaining things...