Often, we speak of a solute dissolved in a solvent.
Sugar dissolves in water.
Sugar is the solute.
Water is the solvent.
The mixture of sugar in water is the solution.
Be sure you understand the specific meaning for each word:
solute, solvent, and solution.
The symbol M is used for molarity. If we put 5.000
moles of sugar in a liter of water, we have a 5.000 M
solution.
Note: We aren't adding 5.000 moles of sugar to a liter of
water. The sugar molecules take up some volume.
We are adding enough water to 5.000 moles of sugar to creat
a solution with a total volume of 5 liters.
If we want a precise determination, we would take a One liter volumetric flask, add 5.000 moles of sugar to it, then add water. There is a mark on the flask that we would fill
the water up to. Now, we don't fill the water up to the
mark immediately. Rather we add part of the water, then
stop, waiting for the sugar to dissolve. If we fill up
to the mark before the sure has completely dissolved, the
process of dissolving could increase the volume, and we would
then go over the mark. After the sugar is completely dissolved,
we can add water up to the line.
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