Solutions and Concentrations Vocabulary

Flashcards covering the vocabulary and definitions related to solutions and concentrations.

Solution

A homogenous mixture of one or more solutes dissolved in a solvent.

Solute

A substance that is dissolved in a solution.

Solvent

A substance with the ability to dissolve other substances to form a solution.

Solvation

The process by which solvent molecules surround and interact with solute ions or molecules.

Electrolyte

A substance that dissociates in water into charged particles called ions.

Nonelectrolyte

A compound that does not conduct an electric current in either aqueous solution or in the molten state.

Saturated

A physical or chemical situation where a system can take no more of a substance.

Unsaturated

A solution that contains less than the maximum amount of solute that is capable of being dissolved.

Supersaturated

A solution that contains more than the maximum amount of solute that is capable of being dissolved at a given temperature.

Miscible

The ability of one liquid to completely dissolve in another liquid solvent.

Immiscible

The property where two substances are not capable of combining to form a homogeneous mixture.

Surfactant

A substance that, when added to a liquid, reduces its surface tension, thereby increasing its spreading and wetting properties.

Concentration

The measurement of the number of particles present in a given volume, often in a mixture or solution.

Dilute

The process of lowering the concentration of a solute in a solution by simply adding more solvent to the solution, such as water.

Concentrated

A relatively large quantity of substance present in a unit amount of a mixture.

Molarity (M)

The amount of a substance in a certain volume of solution.