SOLUTIONS

A solution is a system in which one or more substances are homogeneously mixed or dissolved in another substance.
A solution has two components, a solute and a solvent. The solute is the component that is dissolved, or the least abundant component in the
solution. The solvent is the dissolving agent, or the most abundant component in the solution.

TYPES OF SOLUTIONS

Types of solution according to the concentration of its solute:

1. Dilute solution – contains a relatively small amount of dissolved solute.
2. Concentrated solution – contain a relatively small amount of dissolved solute.
Unsaturated – a solution (with less solute than the saturated solution) that completely dissolves, leaving no remaining substances.
An unsaturated solution is one that still has a capacity to dissolve more solute.
Saturated solution - a chemical solution containing the maximum concentration of a solute dissolved in the solvent. A solution with solute that
dissolves until it is unable to dissolve anymore, leaving the undissolved substances at the bottom.
Supersaturated solution - a solution that contains more solute than what the solvent can dissolve. Supersaturated solution is a solution that
contains more of the dissolved material than could be dissolved by the solvent under normal circumstances.

Types of solution according to the state of its solute:

1. electrolyte solution – a solution that contains ions; a solution can conduct electricity. Ex. salt (NaCl breaks up into sodium and chlorine
ions in water)
Strong electrolyte – is one that completely ionizes in solution.
Weak electrolyte – is one that partially ionizes that only a small fraction of the solute ionizes while a large potion remains
unionized in solution.
2. non-electrolyte solution – a solution that contains molecules as solutes. Ex. sugar (sugar molecule does not break up into ions when
dissolved)

Other types of solution:

Aqueous solution – a solution in which water is the solvent.
Tincture – a solution in which alcohol is the solvent.