A solvent is a substance that dissolves another substance, known as a solute, resulting in the production of a solution. Although most people associate solvents with liquids, they can also exist as solids, liquids, or gases. The most useful, though, are liquid solvents.
This article includes the definition of solvent and various types of solvents.
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Definition of Solvent
A solvent is a substance that dissolves a solute, whether solid, liquid, or gaseous, to form a solution. A solvent is often a liquid, although it can also be a solid or a gas. In everyday life, water is the most widely utilized solvent.
Some other examples of solvents are listed below:
- Milk is 85 percent water. Water is the solvent. Lactose, proteins, vitamins, minerals, and calcium phosphate, are solutes in the milk.
- The solvent in soda pop is water, and the solutes include carbon dioxide, sugar, flavorings, caramel color, and other ingredients.
- Acetone is an excellent solvent because it can dissolve both polar and nonpolar compounds, whereas other solvents can only dissolve one or the other.
- Water is a universal solvent, which means that many different compounds can be dissolved in it.
- Sweetened iced tea is a solution in which sugar dissolved in cold liquid tea serves as the solute and water serve as the solvent.
- The solvent in lemonade is water. Sugar and lemon juice are both solutes.
- Water is a solution in coffee brewing, and tiny particles from the coffee grounds are solutes.
Why Is Water the Universal Solvent?
Water is a universal solvent because it can dissolve a wide variety of compounds due to its polar hydrogen bonding. The polarity of the bonds between the two hydrogen atoms and the oxygen atom results in slightly positive and slightly negative charges on two sides of the molecule. Due to the charged sides of the water, it is strongly attracted to the charged ends of other compounds, such as salt. This attraction subsequently dissolves the other chemical by breaking the attractive factors that hold it together. This is why water dissolves so many different substances. However, it is essential to mention that water does not dissolve everything; oils, for example, do not dissolve well in water and instead precipitate on top of it.