Understanding Solvents, Solutes, & Solutions
Chemistry: Cambridge International GCSE Supplement, topic 12.1.3
Understanding Solvents, Solutes, and Solutions
Solvents dissolve solutes to form solutions.
What is a solvent?
- A solvent is a substance that dissolves a solute.
- Solvents are usually liquids, such as water, which is a common solvent.
- Solvents create solutions by mixing with solutes.
What is a solute?
- A solute is a substance dissolved in a solvent.
- Solutes can be solids, liquids, or gases.
- Salt and sugar are common solutes that dissolve in water.
- Solutes spread evenly throughout the solvent to form a solution.
What is a solution?
- A solution is a mixture of one or more solutes dissolved in a solvent.
- Solutions are uniform and clear mixtures at the molecular level.
- Scientists study solutions to understand how substances combine.
- Solutions can have different concentrations depending on the solute amount.
Saturated solutions
- A saturated solution contains the maximum solute dissolved at a set temperature.
- If more solute is added, it will not dissolve and may form a residue.
- Temperature affects how much solute can dissolve in a solvent.
- Saturated solutions help chemists learn about solubility limits.
Residues and filtrates
- A residue is the solid left after evaporation, distillation, or filtration.
- Filters separate residues from filtrates in mixtures.
- A filtrate is the liquid that passes through a filter during filtering.
- These techniques help chemists purify substances and study mixtures.
Test yourself on Understanding Solvents, Solutes, & Solutions
Which of the following best describes a solution?
What is a solute?