Glossary
Concentration
A measure of the amount of solute present in a given amount of solvent or solution.
Example:
A highly flavored juice has a high concentration of fruit pulp and sugar compared to a diluted one.
Dilution
The process of decreasing the concentration of a solution by adding more solvent to it.
Example:
Adding water to concentrated orange juice to make it less strong is an act of dilution.
Heterogeneous mixtures
Mixtures where the composition is not uniform throughout, and different parts can be visibly distinguished.
Example:
A bowl of cereal with milk is a heterogeneous mixture because you can clearly see the individual cereal pieces and the milk.
Homogeneous mixtures
Mixtures that are uniform in composition throughout, meaning the components are evenly distributed and cannot be individually distinguished.
Example:
A perfectly brewed cup of coffee is a homogeneous mixture because the dissolved coffee solids are uniformly distributed, making it look like a single substance.
Hydration
A specific type of solvation where water acts as the solvent, surrounding and interacting with solute particles.
Example:
When glucose dissolves in water, the water molecules form hydrogen bonds with the glucose, a process known as hydration.
M1V1 = M2V2
An equation used to calculate the new concentration or volume of a solution after dilution, based on the principle that the moles of solute remain constant.
Example:
If you have 100 mL of a 2.0 M stock solution and want to dilute it to 0.5 M, you can use M1V1 = M2V2 to find the final volume needed.
Mass percent
A way to express concentration as the mass of solute divided by the total mass of the solution, multiplied by 100.
Example:
A 5% by mass percent saline solution contains 5 grams of salt for every 100 grams of the total solution.
Molality (m)
A unit of concentration defined as the number of moles of solute per kilogram of solvent.
Example:
A 2.0 molal solution of urea would contain 2.0 moles of urea dissolved in 1.0 kilogram of water.
Molarity (M)
A common unit of concentration defined as the number of moles of solute per liter of solution.
Example:
A 0.1 M solution of HCl means there are 0.1 moles of HCl dissolved in every liter of the total solution.
Solute
The substance that is dissolved in a solvent to form a solution, typically present in a smaller amount.
Example:
In a glass of lemonade, the sugar and lemon juice concentrate are the solutes that dissolve in the water.
Solutions
A specific type of homogeneous mixture where one substance (solute) is completely and evenly dispersed within another (solvent).
Example:
When you dissolve sugar in water to make sugar water, you've created a solution where the sugar molecules are uniformly spread throughout the water.
Solvation
The general process where solvent molecules surround and interact with solute particles, leading to their dissolution.
Example:
When an ionic compound like NaCl dissolves in water, the water molecules perform solvation by surrounding the individual Na+ and Cl- ions.
Solvent
The substance that dissolves the solute to form a solution, typically present in the larger amount.
Example:
When making iced tea, the water is the solvent that dissolves the tea compounds and sugar.