What Are Solutes & Solvents?
A solution is a mixture where one substance dissolves into another evenly.
- The solute is the substance that gets dissolved (example: salt, sugar, or gas like oxygen).
- The solvent is the substance that dissolves the solute (example: water, alcohol, or even air).
- Solutes and solvents can exist in all states: solids, liquids, or gases.
- Water is a polar molecule with slightly charged ends, which allows it to attract and dissolve many substances. This is why it’s called the universal solvent.
How Dissolving Works
When a solute enters a solvent, the solute particles separate and become surrounded by solvent molecules
Whether something dissolves depends on polarity — how electrical charges are distributed in molecules.
- “Like dissolves like” rule:
- Polar solvents dissolve polar solutes (example: salt in water).
- Nonpolar solvents dissolve nonpolar solutes (example: oil dissolving grease).
- If the solute and solvent have different polarities, they usually don’t mix (example: oil and water).
- Temperature, stirring, and surface area also affect how quickly substances dissolve.
Fun Facts
Here are some interesting facts about solutes & solvents:
- The ocean contains about 35 grams of salt per liter of seawater.
- The air we breathe is a gas solution: oxygen and other gases dissolved in nitrogen.
- Soda is a solution: sugar, carbon dioxide, and flavor dissolved in water.
- Even metals can form solutions — alloys like bronze and steel are solid solutions.
Review
Let’s quickly recap what we learned about solutes & solvents:
- What do we call the substance that dissolves? Solute
- What do we call the substance that does the dissolving? Solvent
- What property determines if something dissolves? Polarity
- What is water often called because it dissolves so many substances? Universal Solvent
Recent Comments