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Glite Dictionary
water of crystallization

water of crystallization

7.6
A small amount of water that stays inside a crystal and changes its color
  • noun
  • Specialized
translation icon : agua de cristalización
  • When heated, a hydrate loses its water of crystallization and turns into an anhydrous compound.

Examples

  • Copper sulfate crystals appear blue due to the water of crystallization contained within their structure.

  • The loss of water of crystallization can change the color and properties of the salt.

  • The water of crystallization is essential for the structure of many hydrates.

  • Some compounds lose their water of crystallization when heated.

  • When a hydrate loses its water of crystallization, it may alter its appearance and physical properties.

  • The blue color of copper sulfate crystals comes from the water of crystallization in their structure.

  • In chemical reactions, the role of water of crystallization is crucial for maintaining the integrity of hydrates.

Synonyms

water of hydration
vswater of crystallization
  • Specialized
6.9

Water held inside a crystal as part of its structure

focuses on the chemical bond holding that water within the crystal

Surface Forms

water of crystallization singular
waters of crystallization plural

Morphology

water + of + crystallization

The phrase directly combines 'water' and 'crystallization', so a learner can infer it refers to water associated with crystals or the crystallization process. However, the precise technical sense—water molecules chemically incorporated into a crystal lattice (as in hydrates)—is specialized and not fully predictable from the constituents for an average B1 learner without chemistry background.

Etymology

The noun water of crystallization paints a simple picture: tiny water molecules are trapped in the regular spaces of a formed crystal, which is what crystallization refers to, like water hiding in small rooms of a building. Because that water is part of the crystal, losing it can change the salt's color and make it 'dry', so the phrase means the water held inside the crystal structure.