What did the student buy in the cafeteria and what did he add to it?
A student went to the cafeteria and bought iced tea. He then proceeded to add more sugar to his iced tea.
The Concept of Solutions
In the scenario presented, the student purchased iced tea which served as the solvent and added sugar to it as the solute. A solution is a homogeneous mixture composed of two or more substances. The solvent is the component in greater quantity, which dissolves the solute, the component in lesser quantity. In this case, the iced tea acted as the solvent, while the sugar acted as the solute.
Understanding Solvent and Solute
Solvent: The solvent is the substance that makes up the majority of the solution. It is the component that dissolves the other substance, known as the solute. In the context of the student's experiment in the cafeteria, the iced tea served as the solvent because it was the main component of the drink.
Solute: The solute is the substance that is dissolved in the solvent to form a solution. In the scenario, the student added sugar to the iced tea, making the sugar the solute. The solute may be a solid, liquid, or gas that disperses uniformly throughout the solvent.
Conclusion
Understanding the roles of solvent and solute is essential in comprehending solutions. In the example of the student buying iced tea and adding sugar to it, the iced tea functioned as the solvent, while the sugar acted as the solute. This simple experiment in the cafeteria illustrates the basic principles of solutions and the components that make them up.