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The dissolved substance is called the solute and the fluid (present in excess) is called the solvent, which together form a solution. The process of dissolving is called solvation, or hydration if the solvent is water.
A solution at equilibrium cannot hold any more solute and is said to be saturated. Solutions may, under special conditions, hold more solute than the solvent can normally dissolve. This is called supersaturation.
The degree to which one substance dissolves in another is determined by the intermolecular forces between the solvent and solute, temperature, and the entropy change that accompanies the solvation. Some substances are soluble in alcohol which are not soluble in water.
Solvents are normally characterized as polar or nonpolar. Polar solvents will dissolve ionic compounds and covalent compounds which ionize, while nonpolar solvents will dissolve nonpolar covalent compounds. For example, ordinary table salt, an ionic compound, will dissolve in water, but not in ethanol.
Common solvents used in organic chemistry include acetoneIn chemistry, acetone (also known as dimethyl ketone 2-propanone propan-2-one and beta-ketopropane is the simplest representative of the ketones. Acetone is a colourless mobile flammable liquid with a pleasant, somewhat fruity odor, melting at -95. 4 ° C, ethanol, water, and benzeneBenzene Chemical nameBenzene Chemical formulaCH Molecular mass78. 11 g/mol Density0. 8786 g/ml Melting point5. 5 °C Boiling point80. 1 °C Heat of vaporization44. 3 kJ/mol Heat of fusion9. 84 kJ/mol CAS number71-43-2 SMILESC1 CC CC C1 Benzene PhH or benzol.
While solutions are typically thought of as solids being mixed into liquids, any two states of matter can be mixed and be called a solution. Carbonated waterCarbonated water also known as soda water or sparkling water is water containing carbon dioxide, which bubbles out when the drink is depressurised. When bottled or supplied for final consumption without flavoring, it may be called club soda with mild frui is a solution of a gas in a liquid, and stainless steelIn metallurgy, stainless steel is defined1 as a ferrous alloy with a minimum of 10. 5% chromium content. Such steels have higher resistance to oxidation ( rust) and corrosion in several environments. It was invented in 1913, at the research laboratory of is a solution of a solid in a solid (called an alloyAn alloy is a combination, either in solution or compound, of two or more elements, at least one of which is a metal. An alloy with two components is called a binary alloy; one with three is a ternary alloy; one with four is a quaternary alloy. The result).