Final answer:
The term for the total amount of solid material dissolved in water is 'salinity'. Solubility is a measure of the ability of a substance to dissolve in a solvent, which is relevant for understanding processes like the formation of solutions.
Step-by-step explanation:
The total amount of solid material dissolved in water is known as salinity. Solubility is defined as the measure of how much of a solid substance remains dissolved in a given amount of a specified liquid under specific conditions, such as temperature and pressure. The concept of solubility is critical to various natural and technological processes, from environmental concerns like water purification to the creation of various chemical solutions. A typical example involves dissolving a salt in water to form a solution. The mass of solute in a known volume of solution, for example, 100 mL, can be calculated assuming the solution's density is similar to water, particularly when considering a salt with low solubility.