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The Amazing World of Solutes, Solvents, and Solutions

Three words for one glass

Sugar stirred into tea cannot be seen any more. Three words describe what happened.

Water is the solvent. It does the dissolving.
Step 1 of 3
  1. Water is the solvent. It does the dissolving.
  2. Sugar is the solute. It is what dissolves.
  3. Together they make a solution.

The rule

Uniform means the same all through.

A solution is a uniform mixture. When a solid dissolves in a liquid, the solid is the solute. The liquid is the solvent. With two liquids, the smaller amount is the solute.

Who is the solute?
MixtureSoluteSolvent
Salt in waterSaltWater
Thick sugar syrupSugarWater
A little glycerine in a lot of waterGlycerineWater
A little water in a lot of glycerineWaterGlycerine

Pick a mixture. Find its solute.

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This track

  1. 0 Start here
  2. 1 Three words for one glass
  3. 2 What water can dissolve
  4. 3 How much will go in
  5. 4 Warmth moves the limit
  6. 5 A glass at its limit
  7. 6 How strong is it
  8. 7 Uniform or not
  9. 8 Mass in each cm³
  10. 9 Float or sink?
  11. 10 Checkpoint: density
  12. 11 The big picture
  13. 12 Track quiz

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