Huwerl Thornton, Jr.
A solution is a material in which individual ions or molecules are dispersed in a liquid.
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It can also be defined as a homogenous mixture of two or more substances.
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In simpler terms, this is when one element dissolves into another element, usually into a liquid like water. The substance that is dissolving is called the solute. The liquid that the solute is dissolving into is called the solvent. What is happening on a molecular level is the solute, such as sugar or salt, that are dissolving into the solvent (water), take up the extra space between the water molecules. A solution becomes saturated when no more solute can dissolve into a solvent. If you have ever made KOOL-AID® and added extra sugar, the sugar that is lying at the bottom of the pitcher is an example of the water being saturated with sugar. No matter how much it is stirred, it seems that the sugar just spins around. Ways of allowing a solvent to exceed its saturation point is to change the environmental factors such as temperature or pressure. Often times by raising the temperature of the solvent, this allows it to dissolve more solute. Solutions are usually clear because the solute molecules are so small, light rays pass through them.
Solutions can exist in all three phases of matter. As a gas, the air we breathe is an example of a solution as it is made up of nitrogen, oxygen and other gas molecules. As a solid, steel and bronze are examples of a solution as they are a combination of iron, copper, carbon, and other elements. As a liquid, ethanol is an example of a solution. Ethanol in water creates your typical alcoholic beverages. Examples of solutions in food are salt water, sugar water, and sugar syrups as well as soda pop which is a mixture of water, carbon dioxide and sugar.