Difference Between Supernatant and Precipitate

Thekey differencebetween supernatant and precipitate is that上清液为液态，而沉淀物为固体形式。

离心是一种分析技术，我们用来将颗粒与溶液分开。可以根据这些颗粒的大小，形状，密度或粘度进行分离。在此过程中，我们必须准备悬浮液并将其放在离心管中，该离心管放在转子上以使其以特定速度旋转。在过程结束时，颗粒将在离心管底部形成一个沉淀物，而后者则是上清液。

内容

1.Overview and Key Difference
2.What is Supernatant
3.What is Precipitate
4.并排比较 - 上清液与表格形式的沉淀
5.概括

What is Supernatant?

The supernatant is the liquid we can observe above a solid precipitate. Sometimes, we call it a supernate as well. The techniques in which we can find the term supernatant are centrifugation,precipitation, crystallization, etc.

Usually, this liquid form is translucent. Furthermore, we can use this term to name the liquid that is above the sediments as well. The separation of the supernatant from the supernate-precipitate mixture is named as倾斜.

什么是沉淀？

The precipitate is the solid form that deposits in a solution. It deposits at the bottom of the container because it is insoluble in the solution. A precipitate can form in different ways: from the reaction between two salts, by changing the temperature of a solution, by centrifugation, etc. However, the term precipitate is different from the term precipitant; a precipitate is the solid that forms from precipitation reaction while precipitant is the chemical species that causes a precipitate to form.

There are three major ways to separate a precipitate from the solution: filtration, centrifugation, and decantation. In the filtration process, we can filter the precipitate using filter papers or vacuum filtration to separate the liquid portion. In centrifugation, rapid rotation causes the suspended particles to form a precipitate at the bottom of the container. However, in the decantation process, what we do is pouring or suctioning the liquid away from the precipitate.

上清液与沉淀之间有什么关系？

• Supernatant and precipitate are two related terms. Wherever a supernatant form, a precipitate also forms.

What is the Difference Between Supernatant and Precipitate?

The key difference between supernatant and precipitate is that the supernatant is in liquid form, whereas the precipitate is in solid form. Supernatant forms above the precipitate or sediment while the precipitate forms at the bottom of the container. Moreover, when considering the cause of formation, supernatant forms during centrifugation, crystallization, precipitation, etc. while the precipitate forms from the reaction between two salts, by changing the temperature of a solution, by centrifugation, etc.

Besides, a further difference between supernatant and precipitate is that we separate a supernatant mainly via decantation, whereas we can separate the precipitate from the reaction mixture using filtration, decantation, and centrifugation.

概括– Supernatant vs Precipitate

In summary, the supernatant and precipitate are two related terms. Wherever a supernatant form, a precipitate also forms. However, the key difference between supernatant and precipitate is that supernatant is in liquid form, whereas precipitate is in solid form.

Reference:

1. Helmenstine, Anne Marie, “Supernate Definition in Chemistry.” ThoughtCo, Jan. 6, 2019,Available here.
2. Helmenstine, Todd. “Decantation Definition in Chemistry.” ThoughtCo, Aug. 6, 2019,Available here.
3. Helmenstine，Anne Marie。“化学中的定义和示例。”ThinkCo，2019年1月3日，Available here.

Image Courtesy:

1. “Chemical precipitation diagram” By Vectorized by ZooFari; raster by ZabMilenko – Own work based on Chemical precipitation diagram.png (Public Domain) viaCommons Wikimedia
2. “Copper(I) Chloride Precipitate” By Brandon Burghardt -(Public Domain) viaCommons Wikimedia