What term expresses the percentage of a material by weight that will dissolve in water at ambient temperature?

• A. Solubility
• B. Viscosity
• C. Density
• D. Boiling Point

Answer: (A)

Solubility is the amount of a substance that can dissolve in a solvent, such as water, at a specific temperature. When we express it as a percentage by weight at ambient (room) temperature, we’re describing how much of the material can go into solution under those conditions. This matters in hazmat scenarios because a substance with high solubility can disperse through water and soils more readily. In contrast, viscosity describes how thick a liquid is, density is mass per volume, and boiling point is the temperature at which a liquid boils. So the term for the percentage by weight that will dissolve in water at ambient temperature is solubility.