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Question

What is the meaning of volatile and non volatile ?

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Solution

Volatility is the tendency of a substance to vaporize.
Volatile substances: Volatile substances have the capability to go into the vapor phase. This may happen during heating or without heating. Volatility and the vapor pressure of a substance are related. If the volatility is high, the vapor pressure is also high. If the volatility is low, then the vapor pressure is low. Normally liquids are volatile. They tend to go into the vapor phase rapidly. For example, acetone, hexane, chloroform are volatile liquids, which evaporates rapidly.
Non-volatile substances: Non-volatile substances are substances which do not vaporize rapidly. They don’t have a higher vapor pressure at the normal room temperature and pressure. Nonvolatile substances will mostly be as solids at room temperature. Sodium chloride, silver nitrate are nonvolatile compounds.
Differences between volatile and non-volatile substances.

1. Volatile substances have a tendency to vaporize whereas nonvolatile substances do not have a tendency to vaporize.
2. Volatile substances have a high vapor pressure at normal room temperature and pressure. Nonvolatile substances do not have a high vapor pressure in these conditions.
3. When volatile liquids are heated or stored in an open container, the volume of it decreases but this doesn’t happen to nonvolatile liquids.
4. Volatile substances are generally highly flammable compared to nonvolatile substances.
5. Volatile substances can be easily detected by the smell compared to the nonvolatile substances.


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