Solutions and their properties
Anything dissolved in a solution is referred to as a solute. In a fluid solution, the amount of solvent always outweighs the amount of solute. Two of the most prevalent solutes in our daily lives are salt and water. Salt is the solute because it dissolves in water.
Examples of solute include Sugar, dissolved carbon dioxide, Oxygen, water vapour, carbon dioxide, argon
Solvent refers to the component of a solution that is most prevalent. It is the fluid in which the solute has been dissolved. Typically, a solvent is a liquid. The Latin term solv, which meaning “to loosen or untie,” is the source of the English word “solvent.”
Examples of the solvent include Water, Ethanol, Methanol, Acetone, tetrachloroethylene, Toluene, Methyl acetate, Ethyl acetate.
- A solution is a homogeneous mixture of two or more substances.
Properties:
- Its particles are too tiny and have a diameter less than 1 nm.
- The particles are not visible to naked eyes.
- Particles do not scatter a beam of light passing through it and hence do not show the Tyndall effect.
- The solute particles never settle down on keeping undisturbed.
- The components of a solution cannot be separated using filtration.
Alloys
Alloys are homogeneous mixtures of metals or a mixture of a metal and another element that cannot be separated into their components by physical methods.
Examples:
- Steel, a combination of iron (metal) and carbon (non-metal).
- Bronze, a combination of copper (metal) and tin (metal).
- Brass, a mixture of copper (metal) and zinc (metal).
Concentration of Solutions
The amount of solute that has dissolved in a specific amount of solvent or solution is measured as solution concentration. A concentrated solution is one that has a significant amount of dissolved solute in it. A diluted solution is one that has a small amount of dissolved solute in it.