noun
precipitation
The chemical process by which a solid separates from a solution.
The reaction caused precipitation of a white solid.
Etymology
The Latin ancestor concerns casting down headlong. In chemistry, the image applies to material coming out of solution as a separate solid.
More examples
- The chemist observed precipitation after mixing the solutions.
- Cooling led to gradual precipitation.
- The experiment measured the rate of precipitation.
Forms
precipitation
Similar words
- crystallization
- Crystallization forms an ordered solid; precipitation can produce a solid that is not crystalline.
- settling
- Settling moves suspended particles downward; precipitation creates a solid from dissolved material.