What is a Solution?

A solution is a homogeneous mixture of two or more components in which the particle size is smaller than 1 nm.

Common examples of solutions are sugar in water and salt in water solutions, soda water, etc. In a solution, all the components appear as a single phase. There is particle homogeneity i.e. particles are evenly distributed. This is why a whole bottle of soft drink has the same taste throughout.

Solution

Characteristics of Solution

Solutions have two components, one is solvent and the other is solute.

1. What is a Solvent?

The component that dissolves the other component is called the solvent.

2. What is Solute?

The component(s) that is/are dissolved in the solvent is/are called solute(s).

Generally solvent is present in major proportion compared to the solute. The amount of solute is lesser than the solvent. The solute and solvent can be in any state of matter i.e. solid, liquid or gas.

Solutions that are in the liquid state consist of a solid, liquid or gas dissolved in a liquid solvent. Alloys and air are examples of solid and gaseous solutions, respectively.

3. Solution Examples

The following examples illustrate solvent and solute in some solutions.

Air is a homogeneous mixture of gases. Here both the solvent and the solute are gases.
Sugar syrup is a solution where sugar is dissolved in water using heat. Here, water is the solvent and sugar is the solute.
Tincture of iodine, a mixture of iodine in alcohol. Iodine is the solute whereas alcohol is the solvent.

Types of Solution

Liquid solutions, such as sugar in water, are the most common kind, but there are also solutions that are gases or solids. Any state of matter (solid, liquid, or gas) can act both as a solute and as a solvent during the formation of a solution. Therefore, depending on the physical states of solute and solvent, we can classify solutions into nine different types.

S.No	Types of Solution	Solute	Solvent	Examples
1	Solid-solid	solid	solid	Alloys like brass, bronze etc.
2	Solid-liquid	solid	liquid	The solution of sugar, salt etc in water.
3	Solid-gas	solid	gas	Sublimation of substances like iodine, camphor etc into the air.
4	Liquid-solid	liquid	solid	Hydrated salts, mercury in amalgamated zinc, etc.
5	Liquid-liquid	liquid	liquid	Alcohol in water, benzene in toluene
6	Liquid-gas	liquid	gas	Aerosol, water vapour in the air.
7	Gas-solid	gas	solid	Hydrogen absorbed in palladium
8	Gas-liquid	gas	liquid	Aerated drinks
9	Gas-gas	gas	gas	A mixture of gases, etc

Also Check ⇒ Supersaturated Solution

Properties of Solution

Different properties of solutions are as follows:

It is a homogeneous mixture.
Its particles are too tiny and have a diameter of less than 1 nm.
The particles are not visible to naked eyes.
Particles don’t scatter a beam of light passing through it and hence the path of the light is not visible.
Solutes are inseparable from the mixture and do not sediment. A solution is stable.
The components of a mixture cannot be separated using filtration.

What is a Mixture?

Mixtures are substances that consist of two or more types of matter. Air, soil, blood, etc. are different examples of mixtures. Based on the nature of the components and their distribution, mixtures are classified as homogeneous and heterogeneous mixtures.

A mixture that has its components uniformly distributed is known as a homogeneous mixture.
While if the distribution is non-uniform, the mixture is called a heterogeneous mixture.

A solution is a homogeneous mixture of two or more components. Let’s learn more about solutions, their properties, and how to find a concentration of solutions.

The Concentration of a Solution

The amount of solute in a given solution is called the concentration of a solution. The proportion of solute and solvent in solutions is not even. Depending upon the proportion of solute, a solution can be:

Diluted
Concentrated
Saturated

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Frequently Asked Questions – FAQs

What determines properties of solutions?

It can be represented in a number of ways. Colligative characteristics of a solution rely on the total number of dissolved particulates in solution, not on their chemical identity. Vapor pressure, boiling point, freezing point, and osmotic pressure are all colligative qualities.

What are the 3 types of solutions?

Solid solution, Liquid solution, Gaseous solution.

Which component in a solution that has the largest quantity?

A solution is a mixture of two or more components that is homogenous. The solvent is the material that is present in the maximum amount, whereas the solute is the substance that is present in the least amount.

What are the two classification of solutions?

There are two types of solutions based on if the solvent is water or not. Aqueous solutions are those where the solvent is water. Sugar in water, carbon dioxide in water, etc. are examples. Non-Aqueous Solutions do not use water as a solvent.

Why concentrated solution should not be heated for a long time?

The concentrated solution is more powerful than regular solutions. If they’ve been heated for a long period, there’s a potential they’ll become more powerful and concentrated, making them more difficult to handle.