This tag should be applied to questions dealing with solutions of any kind. A solution is a liquid or solid phase containing more than one substance where, for convenience, one (or more) substance(s) called the solvent is treated differently from the other substances, which are called solutes. If water is the solvent, then the more appropriate 'aqueous-solution' tag should (also) be specified.
This tag should be applied to questions dealing with solutions of any kind.
Definition
A solution is liquid or solid phase containing more than one substance when for convenience one (or more) substance(s), which is called the solvent, is treated differently from the other substances, which are called solutes.
When, as is often but not necessarily the case, the sum of the mole fractions of solutes is small compared with unity, the solution is called a dilute solution. A superscript attached to the $\infty$ symbol for a property of a solution denotes the property in the limit of infinite dilution. (from the IUPAC Gold Book)
A solution is also often referred to as a mixture of different compounds. The main characteristic is that it consists of only one homogeneous phase.
Examples of solutions:
- Gases in Liquids
- Carbon dioxide in water
- Liquid in Liquids
- Ethanol in water
- Solids in Liquids
- Sodium chloride in water
- Gases in Solids
- Hydrogen in Palladium
- Liquids in Solids
- Pentane/ Hexane in paraffin wax
- Solids in Solids
- Tin in Copper (known as bronze)
Related
- ideal dilute solution
- Dilute solution in which the solute may be regarded as obeying Henry's law, so that all the solute activity coefficients may be approximated to 1.
- saturated solution
- A solution which has the same concentration of a solute as one that is in equilibrium with undissolved solute at specified values of the temperature and pressure.
- mixed crystal (solid solution)
- A crystal containing a second constituent which fits into and is distributed in the lattice of the host crystal. (The use of 'solid solution' for amorphous materials is not recommended.)
