Glossary
solute
The solute is the substance that dissolves in a solvent — usually the lesser amount, like the salt in salt water.
In a solution, the solute is the substance that dissolves — usually the one present in the lesser amount, such as the salt stirred into water, or the sugar in a drink. The other substance, the solvent, does the dissolving and is usually present in the greater amount. A solution is the two mixed uniformly, so you cannot see the separate parts. The common error is to swap the two: the water is the solvent, not the solute, because it is usually the greater amount and it does the dissolving. How much solute a solvent can hold is its solubility.
Taught in
Related terms
- solvent — The solvent is the substance that does the dissolving — usually the greater amount, like the water in salt water.
- solubility — Solubility is how much of a solute will dissolve in a given amount of solvent; for most solid solutes it rises with temperature.
Source: OpenStax Chemistry 1e and Chemistry: Atoms First 1e, first editions (CC BY 4.0). Each definition restates the Chemistry guide in this exam, which carries the per-source citations on its own page. (OpenStax 1e accessed 2026-10-08)