salting out

Question

Addition of salt reduces solubility of non-electrolyte due to:

RankGuru · Accepted Answer

1. **Term**: 'Salting out' refers to the decrease in solubility of a protein or other non-electrolyte when a high concentration of salt is added.
2. **Solvation**: Normally, water molecules surround (solvate) the non-electrolyte molecules to keep them in solution.
3. **Salt effect**: Salts (like $NaCl$ or $(NH_4)_2SO_4$) dissociate into ions which have a vastly higher charge density than neutral molecules.
4. **Mechanism**: Water molecules are strongly attracted to these ions to form **hydration shells**. 
5. **Solubility Drop**: The ions 'steal' the available water molecules. With less water available to solvate the non-electrolyte, it precipitates out of the solution.

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salting out

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