Illustrated · 1 min
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In studying and practicing chemistry, we often use solutions. A solution is a homogeneous mixture of at least two different substances. A solution can only exist in one phase (gas, liquid, or solid) even if the solution's components naturally occur in different phases. For instance, in a lab, forming a solution is often done by dissolving a solid in a liquid which results in an aqueous, or liquid, solution. However, a solution may consist of any combination of solids, liquids, or gases. Check out the figure below to see examples of all the possible combinations!
Everyone has made a solution at some point in their lives. For example, imagine making Kool-Aid: you mix water and Kool-Aid powder together until you have a sweet drink! The end result of this process is a true solution because it is a homogenous mixture and contains different substances.
These substances, or ingredients, can be labeled based on their behavior in this Kool-Aid system. The Kool-Aid powder is the solute; it is added to and dissolved in water, which is a solvent. Basically, an amount of solute is being dissolved and a solvent is doing the dissolving. When added to a solvent, the solute(s) take on the characteristics of the solvent. This behavior explains why our resulting solution is entirely liquid (monophasic) and the components are evenly distributed (homogenous).
As is the case with our Kool-Aid, a solution typically consists of more solvent than solute. This is because of solubility: a solute's ability to dissolve into a solvent. One of the most common solvents is water. You may have noticed that certain substances dissolve better than others; for example, you can very easily dissolve sugar and salt in water, but not things like flour or sand. Solubility varies greatly depending on the specific solute and solvent as well as temperature and pressure!
