Making potassium nitrate...

[Joedubyk]

My pota. Nitrate won't dissolve in rodi. Any ideas??!

 

[W1ngz]

Technically, you're not making potassium nitrate, you're dissolving it.

Technicalities aside (though they're actually pretty important when asking chemistry questions), two possibilities I can think of:

1. It's not actually KNO3 you have or;

2. You put too much and the solution is saturated. KNO3 will dissolve in water at about 30g/100ml at normal room temperatures.

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

What product?

It is extremely soluble. Do you mean it mostly isn’t dissolving, or a tiny bit of solid is left over?

 

[Joedubyk]

Technically, you're not making potassium nitrate, you're dissolving it.

Technicalities aside (though they're actually pretty important when asking chemistry questions), two possibilities I can think of:

1. It's not actually KNO3 you have or;

2. You put too much and the solution is saturated. KNO3 will dissolve in water at about 30g/100ml at normal room temperatures.

I was making it wayyy more concentrated

 

[Joedubyk]

What product?

It is extremely soluble. Do you mean it mostly isn’t dissolving, or a tiny bit of solid is left over?

 

[Joedubyk]

It's mostly not dissolving

 

[homer1475]

How much, in how much water are you trying to mix it too?

 

[Joedubyk]

I made it 700ml per 133 grams and it dissolved. Thanks for help, all!

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

Precise dosing is not typically very important, but note that if you make an additive very concentrated, 1 mL does not equal 1 gram any more.

 

[Joedubyk]

Precise dosing is not typically very important, but note that if you make an additive very concentrated, 1 mL does not equal 1 gram any more.

I have such great respect for science, especially chemistry, but I couldn't pass a high school class