what one word is used to describe a solid that dissolves in a liquid?
The one word used to describe a solid that dissolves in a liquid is solute.
Quick Scoop: The One-Word Answer
In chemistry, when a solid disappears into a liquid and forms a clear, uniform mixture, that solid is called the solute.
The liquid doing the dissolving is called the solvent , and together they form a solution.
For example: When sugar dissolves in water, sugar is the solute and water is the solvent.
Mini Breakdown
- Solute – the solid (or gas) that dissolves in a liquid.
- Solvent – the liquid that dissolves the solute.
- Solution – the uniform mixture of solute and solvent.
A common classroom question is literally: “What word describes a solid that dissolves in a liquid?” and the marked correct answer is solute.
Tiny Story to Remember It
Imagine making a cup of tea: you add a spoon of sugar, stir, and the sugar vanishes into the tea. The sweet stuff that vanished was the solute , and the tea (the liquid) was the solvent.
Simple HTML Table (Key Terms)
| Term | What it means | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Solute | The solid that dissolves in a liquid. | [3][5]Sugar in water. | [1]
| Solvent | The liquid that does the dissolving. | [7][3]Water in sugar water. | [7]
| Solution | The mixture of solute and solvent. | [9][3]Sugar solution (sugar + water). | [9][1]
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