Super Saturated Solution

A super-saturated solution is a solution that contains more dissolved solute than would normally be possible at a given temperature and pressure. In other words, a super-saturated solution is a metastable state of a solution where an excess amount of solute is dissolved in the solvent due to a temporary imbalance between the solute-solvent interaction forces and the tendency of the solute particles to aggregate and form a precipitate.

Super-saturation is achieved by dissolving more solute than the solvent can normally dissolve at a given temperature, followed by cooling or other changes that prevent the solute from crystallizing out of the solution. The resulting solution appears stable but is actually in a state of potential instability, which means that any slight disturbance, such as a scratch or a seed crystal, can cause the excess solute to come out of the solution and form a precipitate.

Super-saturated solutions are commonly used in various applications, such as in the formation of crystals, in chemical analysis, and in the production of certain types of food products, such as hard candy.