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6.1: Solutions - Homogeneous Mixtures

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    538664

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    Learning Objectives
    • Learn terminology involving solutions.

    We have previously discussed homogeneous and heterogeneous mixtures. Another name for homogeneous mixtures is Solutions.

    This means that technically, air, metal alloys (like stainless steel), and many other things are solutions.

    Solutions: Common Usage

    Although all truly homogeneous mixtures are solutions, the term is generally used only when describing a substance dissolved in a liquid. Most commonly, a substance dissolved in water.

    Think Sugar or Salt dissolved in water.

    Or your liquid soap- you guessed it! -It's a solution of soap molecules dissolved in water.

    The substance that does not change it's phase or the major component of a solution is called the solvent. The substance that changes phase or the minor component of a solution is called the solute.

    alt
    Figure \(\PageIndex{1}\): Making a saline water solution by dissolving table salt (NaCl) in water. The salt is the solute and the water the solvent. (CC-BY-SA 3.0; Chris 73).
    Example \(\PageIndex{1}\): Sugar and Water

    A solution is made by dissolving 1.00 g of sucrose (\(\ce{C12H22O11}\)) in 100.0 g of liquid water. Identify the solvent and solute in the resulting solution.

    Solution

    The minor component is sucrose, so it is the solute. Water—the majority component—is the solvent. The fact that the resulting solution is the same phase as water also suggests that water is the solvent.

    Exercise \(\PageIndex{1}\)

    A solution is made by dissolving 3.33 g of \(\ce{HCl(g)}\) in 40.0 g of liquid methyl alcohol (\(\ce{CH3OH}\)). Identify the solvent and solute in the resulting solution.

    Answer

    solute: HCl(g); solvent: CH3OH

    Summary

    • Solutions are composed of a solvent (keeps phase or major component) and a solute (changes phase or minor component).

    Contributions & Attributions

    This page was constructed from content via the following contributor(s) and edited (topically or extensively) by the LibreTexts development team to meet platform style, presentation, and quality:

    This page titled 6.1: Solutions - Homogeneous Mixtures was last modified on Tue, 16 Dec 2025 03:18:15 GMT and is shared under a mixed license and was authored, remixed, and/or curated by Seth Yates.