precipitated

Precipitated is the past participle of the verb precipitate. In general usage, it can describe something that has been caused to occur suddenly, or more precisely, that has been brought about abruptly or prematurely. In chemistry, precipitated describes a solid that forms and separates from a liquid solution as a result of a chemical reaction or a change in conditions such as concentration, temperature, or pH. The solid formed is called a precipitate, while the process is precipitation. Precipitation is common in qualitative analysis, industrial crystallization, water treatment, and mineral formation. Typical examples include silver chloride forming when solutions of silver ions and chloride ions are mixed, or calcium sulfate precipitating in hard-water conditions. After formation, precipitates may be filtered, washed, and dried; their properties depend on the lattice structure and impurities.

In broader science and everyday language, precipitated can describe events that were brought about with speed or inevitability, for example, a policy change precipitating economic effects. In meteorology, precipitation refers to any form of water—rain, snow, sleet, or hail—that falls from the atmosphere; the term precipitated is not typically used to describe such rain, but related phrases describe the timing of events that precipitate weather patterns.

Etymology: precipitate comes from Latin praecipitare, to throw down. The adjective sense emphasizes that something has been produced as a solid phase, often as a result of a reaction.