8.4: Water
Solutes, solvents and solutions
A solvent is a liquid that dissolves a solid, liquid or gaseous solute. A solute is a substance dissolved in another substance. A solute and a solvent make up a solution. The solute is usually present in a smaller amount than the solvent.
An example of this would be dissolving a teaspoon of table salt (NaOH) in water (H2O). Water is the solvent and the salt is the solute and together they make a saline (salt) solution. Water is the most comment solvent on earth.
Solvents do not react with whatever they are dissolving, they are chemically inactive. Paint thinner is an example of another solvent because it thins the paint but does not change the colour or any other property of the paint.
Australian Curriculum links
Science Understanding à Properties and structures of materials
(ACSCH026) Differences in the properties of substances in a mixture, such as particle size, solubility, magnetism, density, electrostatic attraction, melting point and boiling point, can be used to separate them
(ACSCH055) Observable properties, including vapour pressure, melting point, boiling point and solubility, can be explained by considering the nature and strength of intermolecular forces within a substance
(ACSCH061) Water is a key substance in a range of chemical systems because of its unique properties, including its boiling point, density in solid and liquid phases, surface tension, and ability to act as a solvent