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When a solute is added to a solvent, the total volume of the solution is lower than that of the solute+solvent. A good example of this is the addition of salt to water, causing an overall volume decrease. What are the most dramatic example of this for commonly available solvents and solutes, both liquid+solid, and liquid+liquid?

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  • Interesting question. My guess is the best examples will be pairs where mixing "turns on" some very strong intermolecular interaction which is not present in either compound separately. For example, choose a strong donor but weak acceptor of hydrogen bonds, and mix it with a strong acceptor but weak donor of hydrogen bonds. Maybe something like hexafluoroisopropanol and hexamethylphosphoramide. – Nicolau Saker Neto Jan 15 '23 at 07:00
  • What are the dramatic examples, to find the most dramatic one? – Poutnik Jan 15 '23 at 09:11
  • https://chemistry.stackexchange.com/questions/49913/what-solutes-will-give-the-largest-reduction-in-volume-when-dissolved-in-water https://chemistry.stackexchange.com/questions/23534/how-does-volume-contraction-in-solvent-mixing-work – Mithoron Jan 15 '23 at 13:46
  • https://chemistry.stackexchange.com/questions/167434/why-is-there-a-decrease-in-the-total-volume-when-naoh-dissolves-in-water https://chemistry.stackexchange.com/questions/83765/is-it-possible-to-have-volumesolution-volumesolvent-before-adding-solute – Mithoron Jan 15 '23 at 13:53
  • lower alcohols and water give ~10% decrease, if I remember correctly. In a plastic container, filled 50/50 with alcohol carefully floated atop water (might need a plastic-wrap separator), the container should get squeezed in the middle when shaken. – DrMoishe Pippik Jan 16 '23 at 00:05

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