Almost all of the reactions that the practicing inorganic chemist observes in the laboratory take place in

solution. Although water is the best-known solvent, it is not the only one of importance to the chemist.
The organic chemist often uses nonpolar solvents such as carbon tetrachloride and benzene to dissolve
nonpolar compounds. These are also of interest to the inorganic chemist and, in addition, polar solvents
such as liquid ammonia, sulfuric acid, glacial acetic acid, sulfur dioxide, and various nonmetal halides
have been studied extensively. The study of solution chemistry is intimately connected with acid-base
theory, and the separation of this material into a separate chapter is merely a matter of convenience.
For example, nonaqueous solvents are often interpreted in terms of the solvent system concept, the
formation of solvates involve acid-base interactions, and even redox reactions may be included within
the Usanovich definition of acid-base reactions.