Question

The water in a 150-mL flask is poured into a beaker that contains 600 mL of ethyl alcohol. Which substance is the solvent in this mixture?

Answer 1

The solvent in the mixture is the ethyl alcohol assuming that the ethyl alcohol is not very dilute. The amount of the solvent must be greater than the amount of the solute. If the ethyl alcohol is dilute such that the resulting solution will have more water than pure ethyl alcohol, the solvent is water and the solute is ethyl alcohol.

Answer 2

Ethyl alcohol is a solvent on the mixture.

Step-by-step explanation:

Solution: It is a mixture of liquid in which solute (minor component) is distributed uniformly in a solvent (major component).

In a solution, mass of solute is always less than the mass of solvent.

Mass of water = 150 mL

Mass of ethyl alcohol = 600 mL

Mass of water < Mass of ethyl alcohol

Ethyl alcohol is a solvent on the mixture.