Undersaturation is a state of a

solution Solution may refer to: * Solution (chemistry), a mixture where one substance is dissolved in another * Solution (equation), in mathematics ** Numerical solution, in numerical analysis, approximate solutions within specified error bounds * Soluti ...

that contains less of a dissolved material than could be dissolved by that quantity of

solvent A solvent (s) (from the Latin '' solvō'', "loosen, untie, solve") is a substance that dissolves a solute, resulting in a solution. A solvent is usually a liquid but can also be a solid, a gas, or a supercritical fluid. Water is a solvent for ...

under normal circumstances. It can also refer to a

vapor In physics, a vapor (American English) or vapour (British English and Canadian English; see spelling differences) is a substance in the gas phase at a temperature lower than its critical temperature,R. H. Petrucci, W. S. Harwood, and F. G. Her ...

of a compound that has a lower (partial) pressure than the compound's

vapor pressure Vapor pressure (or vapour pressure in English-speaking countries other than the US; see spelling differences) or equilibrium vapor pressure is defined as the pressure exerted by a vapor in thermodynamic equilibrium with its condensed phas ...

. Undersaturation is often followed by ingassing of the solvate until saturation is reached.{{cite journal, title=Aragonite undersaturation in the Arctic Ocean: effects of ocean acidification and sea ice melt, pmid=19965425 , doi=10.1126/science.1174190 , volume=326, issue=5956 , journal=Science, pages=1098–100 , last1 = Yamamoto-Kawai , first1 = M , last2 = McLaughlin , first2 = FA , last3 = Carmack , first3 = EC , last4 = Nishino , first4 = S , last5 = Shimada , first5 = K, bibcode=2009Sci...326.1098Y , year=2009 Most states of solution involve undersaturation.

References

* Solutions

See also

References