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Multiple Choice

In solution chemistry, what term defines the substance dissolved in a solvent?

In solution chemistry, the substance dissolved in a solvent is called the solute. The solvent is the component doing the dissolving, and the combination of solute and solvent forms a solution, which is a uniform mixture. For example, when table salt dissolves in water, the salt is the solute, water is the solvent, and the resulting salty solution is the solution. Even if the dissolved substance breaks into ions in solution, the term solute still refers to the substance that was originally dissolved; the ions are just the products of its dissociation. The other terms don’t fit this definition: the solvent is the dissolving medium, the solution is the entire mixture, and an ion is a charged particle that may be present in the solution but isn’t the general term for the dissolved substance.

In solution chemistry, the substance dissolved in a solvent is called the solute. The solvent is the component doing the dissolving, and the combination of solute and solvent forms a solution, which is a uniform mixture. For example, when table salt dissolves in water, the salt is the solute, water is the solvent, and the resulting salty solution is the solution. Even if the dissolved substance breaks into ions in solution, the term solute still refers to the substance that was originally dissolved; the ions are just the products of its dissociation. The other terms don’t fit this definition: the solvent is the dissolving medium, the solution is the entire mixture, and an ion is a charged particle that may be present in the solution but isn’t the general term for the dissolved substance.