Question

What test will you carry out to find out if a given solution is saturated or unsaturated or supersaturated?

Answer 1

It is very simple to differentiate between all three solutions. To test which solution is saturated or unsaturated or supersaturated just take a solution and add more solute to it. Depending upon if the solution can dissolve the solute or not, the three solutions can be identified.

Complete solution:
A saturated solution is a solution that contains the maximum amount of solute that is capable of being dissolved.
An unsaturated solution is a solution that contains less than the maximum amount of solute that is capable of being dissolved.
A supersaturated solution is a solution that contains more than the maximum amount of solute that is capable of being dissolved at a given temperature.
To find out if a given solution is saturated or unsaturated or supersaturated, we need to add a few drops of solute to the original solution and stir the solution by keeping it in a constant solution.
If no more solute can be dissolved in the given solution, then the solution is a saturated solution.
If more solutes can be easily dissolved in the given solution, then the solution is an unsaturated solution.
In the case of supersaturated solutions, if you heat the solution, it can dissolve more solute in it. On cooling, we can find that the dissolved excess salt will precipitate in the solution. If more solute falls to the bottom than the saturated case, then the solution will be supersaturated. It will be very hard to dissolve solute in it.

Note:
All of these solutions, the saturated, unsaturated, and supersaturated solutions are examples of variable composition of a solution, as in each of these solutions the concentration of solute is different. There are many more examples of variable composition of a solution such as homogenous, heterogeneous solutions, etc.