Which parameters affect the rate of dissolution of a solid in water?

There are a number of parameters that affect the rate of dissolution of a solid in water. These include the solubility of the solid, stirring, the surface area of the solid particles and the temperature of the solvent. Once we have selected a solid, its solubility is known to us (or provided to us and hence cannot be varied). We can vary the rate of dissolution by changing the other parameters.

Stirring always helps in increasing the rate of dissolution by causing a uniform distribution of solute particles throughout the solvent. This causes more collisions between water molecules and solute particles, thus increasing the rate of dissolution. Increasing the surface area of the solids (by crushing them) also increases the number of collisions between the particles and water molecules. Similarly, increasing the temperature of a liquid increases the kinetic energy of its particles which results in more collisions, which will help break the bonds between the solid's molecules, and will result in a faster rate of dissolution. 

Hope this helps.