💧Hydrate vs Anhydrous🏜️
Many salts can hold water within their crystals. Whether water is present makes a compound a hydrate or anhydrous.
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💧Hydrate
- ✓Contains water within the crystal lattice
- ✓Has a fixed water-to-formula ratio
- ✓Written with a dot, like CuSO4·5H2O
- ✓Often more colorful, like blue copper sulfate
- ✓Loses water when heated
🏜️Anhydrous
- ✓Contains no water of crystallization
- ✓Formed by heating a hydrate
- ✓Often a different color from the hydrate
- ✓Can absorb water and become a hydrate again
- ✓Example: white anhydrous copper sulfate
Verdict
A hydrate carries a fixed amount of water locked in its crystals, while an anhydrous compound has none. Heating drives water off; exposure to moisture can bring it back.
Frequently asked
How do I make an anhydrous compound?+
Heat the hydrate to drive off the water of crystallization.
Why does copper sulfate change color?+
Hydrated copper sulfate is blue, while the anhydrous form is white.
Is the water amount fixed in a hydrate?+
Yes. Each hydrate has a definite ratio of water molecules per formula unit.
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