The substance that dissolves other substances

The substance that dissolves other substances

• A. Solute
• B. Solvent
• C. Solution
• D. Mixture

Answer: (B)

The substance that dissolves other substances is the solvent—the dissolving medium in a solution. In a solution, the part that does the dissolving is the solvent, while the part being dissolved is the solute. The combination of solvent and solute forms a uniform mixture called a solution. Water is a common solvent; for example, when salt dissolves in water, water acts as the solvent and salt is the solute, yielding an aqueous solution. A mixture is a broader term that can be anything blended together and may not be uniform, so it doesn’t specifically identify the dissolving agent.

The substance that dissolves other substances is the solvent—the dissolving medium in a solution. In a solution, the part that does the dissolving is the solvent, while the part being dissolved is the solute. The combination of solvent and solute forms a uniform mixture called a solution. Water is a common solvent; for example, when salt dissolves in water, water acts as the solvent and salt is the solute, yielding an aqueous solution. A mixture is a broader term that can be anything blended together and may not be uniform, so it doesn’t specifically identify the dissolving agent.