Final answer:
A solution is composed of a solute, which is dissolved, and a solvent, which does the dissolving. Ethyl alcohol with 95% alcohol content has ethyl alcohol as the solvent and water as the solute. Examples of solutions include soda water, saltwater, vinegar, and brass alloy.
Step-by-step explanation:
In chemistry, we often discuss solutions, which consist of a solute and a solvent. The solute is the substance that is dissolved, whereas the solvent is the substance that does the dissolving. For example, in a brand of ethyl alcohol that is 95% ethyl alcohol and 5% water, the solute would technically be water and the solvent would be ethyl alcohol because there's a greater amount of ethyl alcohol than water. However, the terms can be a bit confusing in this scenario because the roles of solvent and solute are normally associated with the typical behavior of the substances involved (e.g., water is a common solvent).
Here are examples to illustrate each type of solution:
- A gas solute in a liquid solvent: Soda water (CO2 in water).
- A solid solute in a liquid solvent: Saltwater (NaCl in water).
- A liquid solute in a liquid solvent: Vinegar (acetic acid in water).
- A solid solute in a solid solvent: An alloy, such as brass, which is made from copper and zinc.
To differentiate between saturated and concentrated, a saturated solution is one that cannot dissolve any more of a solute at a given temperature, while a concentrated solution has a large amount of solute relative to the amount of solvent, but may not be saturated.
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