Dissosioida

Dissosioida, in English usually rendered as to dissociate, is a chemical process in which a compound splits into smaller units, most commonly ions, when dissolved or subjected to certain conditions. The typical instance is the dissolution of an ionic compound in a polar solvent such as water, where the solid separates into positively and negatively charged ions that move independently in the solution. Substances that dissociate to a significant extent are called electrolytes because their solutions conduct electricity.

Dissociation can be complete (strong) or partial (weak). A soluble salt like sodium chloride dissociates essentially completely in water: NaCl(s) → Na+(aq) + Cl−(aq). A weak acid, such as acetic acid, only partially dissociates: CH3COOH ⇌ CH3COO− + H+. Equilibrium constants describe the extent: for acids, the dissociation constant Ka; for salts and inorganic compounds, the solubility product Ksp. The degree of dissociation depends on concentration, temperature, solvent polarity, and the presence of other ions (common-ion effect) and is described by activity terms rather than bare concentrations in dilute solutions.

Distinctions: dissociation is not the same as hydrolysis, although both can change the composition of a solution. Hydrolysis involves reaction with water that chemically alters the species, whereas dissociation mainly involves separation into ions without a change in the identity of the species. In biochemistry and physiology, dissociation underpins pH control, ion transport, and enzyme activity. The term dissosioida is the Finnish verb form for this process, and in English texts it is typically translated as dissociate or dissociation.