Chemistry · Solutions · NEET
The solvent is the substance present in the larger amount, and it does the dissolving. The solute is the substance present in the smaller amount, and it gets dissolved. Example: in salt water, water is the solvent (more) and salt is the solute (less). If you have more than two parts, the largest one is the solvent and all the others are solutes.
No. Water is a very common solvent, but it is not always the solvent. The solvent is simply the component present in the largest amount. In a solution of a little water in a lot of alcohol, alcohol is the solvent. When both components are in the same state (like two liquids), the one with the larger amount is called the solvent.
Homogeneous means the composition and properties are the same everywhere in the mixture. If you take a drop from the top and a drop from the bottom, they are identical. You cannot see separate parts. Salt fully dissolved in water is homogeneous. Sand in water is NOT homogeneous (you can see the sand), so sand in water is not a true solution.
Compare the amounts. The larger amount is the solvent, the smaller amount is the solute. That is the only rule you need for NEET. State does not decide it - amount does. So in 5 mL alcohol added to 500 mL water, water is the solvent; in 5 mL water added to 500 mL alcohol, alcohol is the solvent.
Yes. A solution can have one solvent and many solutes. For example, sea water has water as the solvent and many dissolved salts (NaCl, MgCl2 and others) as solutes. There is normally only one solvent (the largest component), but there can be several solutes.
No. Every solution is a mixture, but not every mixture is a solution. A solution must be homogeneous (uniform everywhere) and single-phase. Mixtures like oil in water or sand in water are heterogeneous - you can see two parts - so they are not solutions. This difference matters in NEET because colligative-property questions only apply to true solutions.
In water-saturated air the mole fraction of water vapour is 0.02. If the total pressure of the saturated air is 1.2 atm, the partial pressure of dry air is:
In a one molal solution that contains 0.5 mole of a solute, there is:
Try the real previous-year questions from this chapter — each with the answer and a full solution.
Yes. When salt fully dissolves in water it forms a homogeneous mixture that is uniform everywhere, so it is a solution. Water is the solvent and salt is the solute.
The whole Solutions chapter (concentration, Raoult's law, colligative properties, osmotic pressure) is built on knowing what a solute and solvent are. Getting these basics wrong causes mistakes in every later formula. Solutions gives around 1-2 questions in NEET most years.
Yes. Alloys like brass (copper and zinc) are solid-in-solid solutions. A solution can form in solid, liquid or gas states, as long as it is homogeneous.
A solution is homogeneous and the solute does not settle. A suspension is heterogeneous and the particles settle down or can be filtered out (like muddy water). Only true solutions follow colligative-property rules.
No. The solvent can be a solid, liquid or gas. Air is a gas solution where nitrogen is the solvent. But most NEET numerical questions use liquid solvents like water.
