A solution is a homogeneous mixture of one or more solutes dissolved in a solvent.
•solvent: the substance in which a solute dissolves to produce a homogeneous mixture
•solute: the substance that dissolves in a solvent to produce a homogeneous mixture
Note that the solvent is the substance that is present in the greatest amount.
Many different kinds of solutions exist. For example, a solute can be a gas, a liquid or a solid. Solvents can also be gases, liquids or solids.
The following figures show the microscopic behavior of several different kinds of solutions. Note that in each case, the solute particles are uniformly distributed among the solvent particles.