In this episode Terenzio and Sinfosio talk about solutions and dilutions.
At the tavern, 12:00 noon
Terenzio and Sinfosio meet
Terenzio: << Good morning, Master, can I offer you our usual cocktail? >>
Sinfosio: << Willingly, Terenzio. What do you take? I’ll take a spritz >>
T << I like posca. I’ll order one right away. Do you know, Master, that it is a very popular drink nowadays? >>
S << Of course I know. But do you know the reason for its success? >>
T << Sure, its cheapness! >>
S << Well done the dumbass! Dear Terenzio, I am surprised by these rash replies from you. You don’t know that behind a success there is always a big scam! The wine vinegar that you believe you are drinking pure, alas, is diluted with water >>.
T << So it’s not like they say on agorà -vision, 100% pure wine vinegar? >>
S << I’m astonished that you still believe in fairy tales … they don’t sell you a pure product, but a diluted product, and you can’t imagine how! >>
T << Really? Tell me more, Mr. Master, I’m thirsty for knowledge, as well as really thirsty. I’ll drink your spritz while listening to it, if you don’t mind >>
S << I don’t mind because you pay! In any case, dilution, this unknown, is nothing more than a common operation in my laboratory. My slave performs them all the time! You take the most concentrated solutions and add a precise amount of solvent to DILUTE them!>>
T << Master, I know you’ve already explained it to me, but you see, I don’t remember exactly what a SOLUTION is! Can you repeat it to me? >>
Sinfosio orders another spritz, takes a long sip and then starts over…
S << I know that ripetita iuvat, but you Terenzio must learn to use long-term memory! Malum! However, a solution is always a HOMOGENEOUS mixture of solvent + solute. Like when you, Terenzio, dissolve table salt in water for cooking; in that case the solvent is water and the salt is the solute. The solvent is always the one in excess, while the solute is the one in defect. But I see you, Terenzio, annoyed, isn’t it clear? >>
T << Very clear Master. Solvent is more and solute is less, you mix them together and you get a unique thing called solution!!! >>
S << Very well Terenzio, but why then that annoyed face? I don’t understand >>
T << No, Master it’s that you said that I cook, but I’m a male, Master, that’s a woman’s job, my wife does it. Not me!!! >>
S << Age Terenzio, it was just an example! Do not be nervous. In any case, a solution is simply the whole of solute and solvent, mixed homogeneously, in the sense that you will no longer be able to recognize the solute, which will completely dissolve in the solvent. Hence the word HOMOGENEOUS >>.
T << So oil and water which form two visible layers, Master, aren’t they a solution? Right? >>
S << Exactly Terenzio! Today I see you illuminated, it should be that posca is good for the brain! You must drink it more!! >>
T << You’re right, let’s order two more sisteri of posca! >>
S << Terenzio, come on we’re not at the Bacchanalia, don’t exaggerate! Anyway going back to the posca… the acetic acid inside is certainly very diluted with water, otherwise it would be so acidic that your teeth would wear out!!! In one fell swoop!!! >>
Terence opens his mouth in surprise while he is still drinking, pouring part of the posca on the table
T<< Damn! My posca!?! Don’t mind it, Master. Anyway is pure acetic acid really that powerful, Master? >>
S << Quite Terenzio, but there are much stronger acids. We’ll talk about that another time. I want to go back to the dilution. So if you have a solution, it contains a certain amount of solute per volume of solvent, this amount is expressed with the concept of CONCENTRATION. Clear? >>
T << For example 2 g of salt in 2 liters of water? >>
S << Yes exactly! And if I add another liter of water to this solution, what happens? >>
T << I will always have 2 g of salt, but in 3 liters of water this time >>.
S << Great! And this is dilution! The solvent is now more and the concentration of the new solution has lowered because the solute is now further less than the solvent of the initial solution >>.
T << So to recap Master, DILUTING means lowering the CONCENTRATION! And I do it by increasing the amount of solvent! Right? >>
S << Vivat Terenzio! You are really enlightened today! I’ll offer you the next posca, if it’s so good for you… then come to my place in the afternoon and I’ll show you how my slave girl performs dilution >>.