Final answer:
In chemistry, '(aq)' is an abbreviation for 'aqueous', which indicates a substance is dissolved in water, typically used in chemical equations to denote hydration.
Step-by-step explanation:
The abbreviation '(aq)' stands for 'aqueous', which indicates that a substance is dissolved in water. In chemical notation, it is often used to identify ions or compounds in a water-based solution. For instance, when you see '3.0 M NaCl (aq)', it is read as 'three point oh molar sodium chloride aqueous solution', meaning there are 3.00 moles of NaCl dissolved in one liter of water. This notation is used to emphasize that the substance, such as Na+ (aq) or Cl- (aq), is hydrated with water molecules attached to it.