In a solution, what is the solute?

In a solution, what is the solute?

• A. The solvent.
• B. The substance that holds the solvent together.
• C. The substance that is dissolved in a solution.
• D. The medium that dissolves the solute.

Answer: (C)

In a solution the key idea is that one substance is dissolved into another. The solute is the substance that gets dissolved in the solvent. For example, when salt is mixed into water, salt is the solute and water is the solvent. The solute can be a solid, liquid, or gas, and it’s the component present in the dissolved form within the solution. The solvent is the component doing the dissolving and typically present in the greater amount. So the substance that is dissolved in a solution is the solute. The other descriptions refer to the dissolving medium or to nonstandard phrasing about holding the solvent together, which aren’t the right way to name the dissolved component.

In a solution the key idea is that one substance is dissolved into another. The solute is the substance that gets dissolved in the solvent. For example, when salt is mixed into water, salt is the solute and water is the solvent. The solute can be a solid, liquid, or gas, and it’s the component present in the dissolved form within the solution. The solvent is the component doing the dissolving and typically present in the greater amount.

So the substance that is dissolved in a solution is the solute. The other descriptions refer to the dissolving medium or to nonstandard phrasing about holding the solvent together, which aren’t the right way to name the dissolved component.