In ocean water, is salt a solvent or a solute?

1 Answer
anor277
Jun 17, 2017

Surely it is a "solute........."?

Explanation:

A solution is composed of a disperse phase, the "SOLVENT" and is ALSO the reagent in excess; it dissolves a "SOLUTE", the species in solution.

Solutes and solvent can be gaseous, liquid or solids. The air we breathe is certainly an example of a solution. An alloy is also an example of a solution.

And for sea water, we have (among other things) sodium chloride dissolved in water to give discrete Na^+ and Cl^- ions, i.e. the "solute".

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