Flexi Says: In water, individual ions break apart from the salt crystal and enter the solution, where they remain hydrated by water molecules. Some of the dissolved ions collide back again with the crystal and remain there. Recrystallization is the process of dissolved solute returning to the solid state. At some point, the rate at which the solid salt is dissolving becomes equal to the rate at which the dissolved solute is recrystallizing. When that point is reached, the total amount of dissolved salt remains unchanged. Solution equilibrium is the physical state described by the opposing processes of dissolution and recrystallization occurring at the same rate. The solution equilibrium for the dissolving of sodium chloride can be represented by one of two equations.
NaCl(s)⇌NaCl(aq)
While this shows the change of state back and forth between solid and aqueous solution, the preferred equation also shows the dissociation that occurs as an ionic solid dissolves.
NaCl(s)⇌Na+(aq)+Cl−(aq)
