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16.1: Solute-Solvent Combinations

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    Solute-Solvent Combinations

    The focus of "Chapter 15: Water" was water's role in the formation of aqueous solutions. We examined the primary characteristics of a solution and how water is able to dissolve solid solutes; we differentiated between a solution, a suspension, and a colloid. There are many examples of solutions that do not involve water at all, or that involve solutes that are not solids. The table below summarizes the possible combinations of solute-solvent states, along with examples of each.

    Table \(\PageIndex{1}\): Solute-Solvent Combinations
    Solute State Solvent State Example
    liquid gas water in air
    gas gas oxygen in nitrogen (gas mixture)
    solid liquid salt in water
    liquid liquid alcohol in water
    gas liquid carbon dioxide in water
    solid solid zinc in copper (brass alloy)
    liquid solid mercury in silver and tin (dental amalgam)

    Gas-Gas Solutions

    Our air is a homogenous mixture of many different gases and therefore qualifies as a solution. Approximately \(78\%\) of the atmosphere is nitrogen, making it the solvent for this solution. The next major constituent is oxygen (about \(21\%\)), followed by the inert gas argon \(\left( 0.9\% \right)\), carbon dioxide \(\left( 0.03\% \right)\), and trace amounts of neon, methane, helium, and other gases.

    Solid-Solid Solutions

    Solid-solid solutions such as brass, bronze, and sterling silver are called alloys. Bronze (composed mainly of copper with added tin) was widely used in making weapons in times past, dating back to at least 2400 B.C. This metal alloy was hard and tough, but was eventually replaced by iron.

    Liquid-Liquid Solutions

    Perhaps the most familiar liquid-solid solution is dental amalgam, used to fill teeth when there is a cavity. Approximately \(50\%\) of the amalgam material is liquid mercury to which a powdered alloy of silver, tin, and copper is added. Mercury is used because it binds well with the solid metal alloy. However, the use of mercury-based dental amalgam has gone under question in recent years, because of concerns regarding the toxicity of mercury.

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    This page titled 16.1: Solute-Solvent Combinations is shared under a CK-12 license and was authored, remixed, and/or curated by CK-12 Foundation via source content that was edited to the style and standards of the LibreTexts platform; a detailed edit history is available upon request.

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