oplosing

Oplosing, most commonly written oplossing in Dutch, refers to the process of dissolving a substance in a solvent and to the resulting homogeneous mixture, a solution. In chemistry, dissolution happens when solute particles disperse at the molecular or ionic level among solvent molecules, forming a single phase. The extent of dissolution is described by solubility, the maximum amount of solute that can dissolve at a given temperature and pressure. Solutions can be unsaturated, saturated, or supersaturated. Solubility depends on interactions between solvent and solute, as well as on temperature, and for gases also on pressure.

In Dutch usage, oplossing also denotes the answer to a problem or puzzle, i.e., the solution to a question. The related verb oplossen means to solve or to dissolve, and oplossing is the noun for both the chemical concept and the problem’s answer. The spelling oplosing is uncommon and generally considered a nonstandard or dialectal variant of oplossing.

Examples of dissolution include table salt in water, sugar in hot tea, and carbon dioxide dissolving in water under pressure. In pharmaceuticals and food science, the rate at which a substance dissolves can determine bioavailability or taste. Factors affecting dissolution include temperature, solubility, particle size (surface area), agitation, and the polarity or hydrogen-bonding capacity of the solvent. In chemistry, dissolution is closely linked to solvation (hydration when water is the solvent) and to processes such as crystallization and precipitation, which can reverse dissolution under certain conditions.