Solutions, in chemistry, homogeneous (uniform) mixtures of two or more substance s.

The substance present in largest quantity usually is called the solvent, and the substance present in smallest quantity is called the solute. Although a solv ent can be a gas, liquid, or solid, the most common solvent is liquid water. A s olution with water as the solvent is called an aqueous solution. The solute can be a gas, liquid, or solid. Carbonated water is an example of a gas solute (carb on dioxide) dissolved in a liquid solvent (water). Sugar water is an example of a solid solute (sugar) dissolved in a liquid solvent (water). Many metals are so luble in one another, forming solid solutions known as alloys. Mixtures of gases , such as the atmosphere, are sometimes referred to as solutions as well. Soluti ons are distinct from colloids and suspensions in that the particles of the solu te are of molecular size and are evenly dispersed among the molecules of the sol vent. Solutions appear homogeneous under the microscope, and the solute cannot b e separated by filtration. Salts, acids, and bases ionize when they are dissolve d in water. Some liquids, such as water and alcohol, can dissolve in each other in any propo rtion. If sugar is dissolved in water, however, new sugar added to the solution above a certain amount will not dissolve any more; the solution is then called s aturated. The solubility of a compound in a given solvent at a given temperature and pressure thus is defined as the maximum amount of that compound that can be dissolved in the solution. Solubility increases with the increasing temperature of the solvent for most substances. For some substances, such as gases or the o rganic salts of calcium, solubility in a liquid increases with a lowering of tem perature. In general, solutions with molecules that are structurally similar to the molecules of the solvent have the highest solubility. For example, ethyl alc ohol (C2H5OH) and water (HOH) have structurally similar molecules and are highly soluble in one another. When a solute is added to a solvent, several physical properties of the solvent change. Its boiling point is raised and its freezing point lowered with increasi ng concentrations of solute. For example, cooling water in an automobile engine can be prevented from freezing by adding an antifreeze such as ethylene glycol ( HOCH2CH2OH) as a solute. In addition, the vapor pressure of a solvent is lowered when a solute is added. Another important property of a solution is its ability to exert osmotic pressur e. If two solvents are separated by a semipermeable membrane (a membrane that al lows the passage of the solvent molecules but prevents passage of the solute mol ecules), solvent molecules will migrate from the solution of lower concentration to the solution of higher concentration, making the latter more dilute

(ionization) Ionization, formation of electrically charged atoms or molecules. Atoms are elec trically neutral; the electrons that bear the negative charge are equal in numbe r to the protons in the nucleus bearing the positive charge. When sodium combine s with chlorine, for example, to form sodium chloride, each sodium atom transfer s an electron to a chlorine atom, thus forming a sodium ion with a positive char ge and a chloride ion with a negative charge. (solvent) Solvent, substance in a solution (a uniform mixture of chemicals) that is in the greatest abundance and typically determines the physical state of the solution. The substance or substances in the solution in smaller amounts are called solut es. Both solvents and solutes can be solids, liquids, or gases. For example, in a solution of salt water, water is the solvent and salt is the solute. In carbon ated water, water is the solvent and carbon dioxide gas is the solute. In steel,

iron is the solvent and carbon is the solute. Solvents are commercially valuabl e. They are an important component of paints, lacquers, and pharmaceuticals, and are used in the production of synthetic (artificial) materials. (alloys) Alloy, substance composed of two or more metals. Alloys, like pure metals, posse ss metallic luster and conduct heat and electricity well, although not generally as well as do the pure metals of which they are formed. Compounds that contain both a metal or metals and certain nonmetals, particularly those containing carb on, are also called alloys.