text: how would you classify different ways that solids dissolve? specifically, a gram of salt in water, a gram of citric acid in alcohol, magnesium carbonate in dilute sulfuric acid, hydrochloric acid in magnesium.  two different kinds of dissolving have occured.  what are the two different kinds?  i have to divide them into two classes. are you talking about dissociation and ionization?  dissociation is when an ionic substance breaks into positive and negative ions in water or some other substance and are carried throughout the solution due to dissolution.  (also known as dissolving)  the other is ionization when a covalent acid ionizes and forms a positively charged hydronium ion and and a negative ion and is also carried throughout a solution due to dissolution.  they are both processes of dissolving