Education Content Expert
Solvent is a chemical substance in which a Solute is dissolved to form a Solution. It is a component of a solution that is present in the largest amount and is used to dissolve the solute.
- Solvent is a substance that is used to dissolve another chemical substance, called a Solute, to form a homogeneous mixture.
- The homogenous mixture of Solute and Solvent is referred to as a Solution.
- Solvents are generally liquid, but they can also be solids or gases.
- Some examples of solvents are water, acetone, ethanol, methanol, etc.
Example: In a saltwater solution, water is the solvent and salt is the solute.
| Table of Content |
Key Terms: Solvent, Solute, Solution, Solvent Examples, Polar Solvents, Non-Polar Solvents, Protic Solvents, Aprotic Solvents
What is a Solvent?
[Click Here for Sample Questions]
Solvent is a substance in which another chemical substance, called a Solute, is dissolved to form a Solution.
- Solvent and Solute combine together to form a homogenous mixture called a Solution.
- Solvent is always present in a larger quantity than solute.
- They are predominantly liquids, however, they might exist in the solid and gaseous states as well.
- Solvents determine the physicochemical form of the substance as either solid, liquid, or gas.
- Examples of Solvents include water, ethanol, methanol, acetone, toluene, etc.
The dissolving of the Solute in the Solvent is dependent on several factors such as:
- Temperature
- Amount of Stirring
- State of Solute
- Solubility
Read More:
| Relevant Concepts | ||
|---|---|---|
| Solubility Curve | Types of Solutions | Factors Affecting Solubility |
| Solvent Examples | Organic Solvent | Solubility Formula |
Types of Solvent
[Click Here for Previous Year Questions]
Solvents are divided into two major types depending on Polarity. Polarity is the ability of a solvent to dissolve any given solute to form solutions.
Polar Solvents
- Polar Solvents are solvents with large partial charges or dipole moments.
- The bonds between the atoms of polar solvents have very different but measurable electronegativities.
- They can easily dissolve ions and other polar compounds.
- Polar solvents are strong dipolar molecules that use hydrogen bonding as an interface form.
- They work by breaking the covalent bonds of the solute, thus, inducing the ionization of the solute.
- Most of the solvents used in drug delivery systems are polar solvents including water and alcohol.
- Other polar solvents include alcohols, aldehydes, and sugar ketones.
Non-Polar Solvents
- Nonpolar Solvents are those solvents that possess little or no dipolar character.
- They are usually unable to form dipoles independently.
- However, they can use induced dipole-induced dipole interactions for dissolving appropriate solutes.
- They have dielectric constants between 1 and 20.
- Examples of Non-polar Solvents include fixed oils, carbon tetrachloride, and chloroform.
- Ionic and polar solutes have very little to no solubility in nonpolar solvents.
- Oils, fats, and fatty acids are able to dissolve well in nonpolar solvents.
Solutions Detailed Video Explanation
Aprotic Solvents
- Aprotic solvents are solvents that do not release protons.
- They may behave as a simple solvent that has a particular polarity based on the measurement of the dielectric constant.
- They are polar compounds of liquid that do not have dissociable atoms of Hydrogen.
- These solvents have an absence of chemical bonds like O-H and N-H.
- Aprotic solvents don’t contain groups of hydroxyl (-OH) and amine (-NH2) and are incapable of forming hydrogen bonds.
- Aprotic solvents share the ion-dissolving ability with protic solvents.
- Protic solvents lack acidic hydrogen, hence not much hydrogen is released.
- Polar aprotic solvents have minimum to moderate dielectric constant values and a moderate polarity can be seen in these solvents.
- Examples of Aportic Solvents include Ether, Hexane, and Methylene Chloride.
Protic Solvents
- Protic Solvents are the ones that consist of molecules acting as the server of hydrogen bonds.
- Polar protic solvents can be described by the general formula of ROH.
- Polar protic solvents extract their polarity from the O-H bond dipole.
- When combined with the smaller-sized hydrogen atom, the bigger difference in electronegativity of the oxygen and hydrogen atoms permits the separation of the molecules having the OH group from those polar compounds that do not.
- Examples of Protic Solvents include water, alcohol, and carboxylic acid.
Solvent Examples
[Click Here for Sample Questions]
Solvents are defined as chemical substances that are used as a fluid or medium to dissolve the solute to form a solution. Most of the commonly found solvents are liquids, however, they can be solid as well as in gaseous form.
Given below are some common solvent examples:
- Water
- Ethanol
- Acetone
- Tetrachloroethylene
- Methanol
- Toluene
- Hexane
- Benzene
- Methyl Acetate
- Ethyl Acetate
Out of all these solvents, Water, Methanol, Ethanol, and Acetone are the most common and frequently used solvents in a wide variety of industries and daily items.
Uses of Solvents
[Click Here for Previous Year Questions]
Solvents are frequently used in a lot of chemical industries as well as in products of daily life. Here are some common uses of Solvents:
- Solvents are commonly used in paints and coatings.
- They are used in the manufacturing of Dyes or Inks.
- Solvents are used in personal care products such as cosmetics, and nail removers.
- They are employed in cleaning products and formulations.
- They are used in hundreds of pharmaceutical products in the healthcare industry.
- Solvents are also used in automobiles in washer fluid to remove dirt from the windshield.
Check More:
Things to Remember
- Solvent is a chemical substance that dissolves another chemical substance, a Solute, to form a Solution.
- It is always present in large quantities than a solute in a solution.
- Solvents are divided into Polar Solvents and Non-Polar Solvents based on Polarity.
- Polar Solvents have partial charges or dipole moments while Nonpolar Solvents have little or no dipolar character.
- They are also categorized into Protic Solvents and Aprotic Solvents.
- Examples of Solvents are water, ethanol, methanol, toluene, acetone, etc.
- Solvents are commonly used in chemical, pharmaceutical, oil, and gas industries.
For Latest Updates on Upcoming Board Exams, Click Here: https://t.me/class_10_12_board_updates
Previous Year Questions
- Choose the correct statement... (KCET - 2021)
- A graph of vapor pressure and temperature for three different… (JEE Main - 2020)
- At 35∘C, the vapor pressure of CS2 is 512 mm Hg… (JEE Main - 2020)
- Two open beakers one containing a solvent and the other… (JEE Main - 2020)
- In water-saturated air the mole fraction of water vapour… (NEET - 2019)
- A solution of sodium sulfate contains 92g of… (JEE Main - 2019)
- Which one of the following statements regarding Henry's law… (JEE Main - 2019)
- Which of the following aqueous solution has highest... (KCET - 2017)
- The solubility of CO2 in water increases with…
- For an ideal solution, the correct option is… (NEET - 2019)
Sample Questions
Ques. Which one of the following is also known as the Universal Solvent?
(a) Water
(b) Chlorofluorocarbon
(c) Chloroform
(d) Carbon Tetrachloride (2 Marks)
Ans. (a) Water
Explanation: Water is one of the most common solvents with the chemical formula H2O. There is a large variety of substances that can be dissolved easily in Water. It is considered to be a good solvent due to its ability to dissolve almost all solutes. Thus, water is referred to as a “Universal Solvent” as it can dissolve more substances than all other liquid solvents.
Ques. What is meant by a Solvent? (3 Marks)
Ans. Solvent is defined as a chemical substance that dissolves another chemical substance, called a Solute, in order to form a homogeneous mixture called a Solution.
- It is the component of a solution that is present in larger amounts.
- Solvents are usually liquids, but can also be in gaseous and solid form.
- They are used in chemical, pharmaceutical, oil, and gas industries for chemical synthesis and purification.
Ques. Give some examples of Solvents. (3 Marks)
Ans. Some examples of solvents are listed below:
- Water
- Ethanol
- Methanol
- Acetone
- Toluene
- Methyl Acetate
- Ethyl Acetate
- Hexane
- Benzene
- Tetrachloroethylene
Ques. Explain the Mechanism of Dissolving a Solute in a Solvent. (3 Marks)
Ans. The mechanism of dissolving a solute in a solvent is different in the case of polar and nonpolar solvents.
- The dipole moment in the polar solvent molecule creates a positive and negative charge end. Since polar solvent molecules dissolve polar solute only, so the charged molecules of solute are attracted to the solvent molecule and if the attraction force is strong enough it will separate the solute molecule and distribute it evenly in the solvent.
- In the case of the nonpolar solvent, there is no dipole moment so in this case, electrons tend to move at one side of the molecule to attract a similar nonpolar molecule solvent to break it at distributing it evenly in the solution.
Ques. __________ is a carbon-based solvent, while __________ does not contain carbon. (2 Marks)
Ans. (a) Organic Solvent, (b) Inorganic Solvent
Explanation: Organic solvents and inorganic solvents are two types of solvents distinguished on the basis of the presence of Carbon. Inorganic solvents don’t contain the element carbon such as water, and liquid ammonia whereas organic solvents contain carbon and oxygen in their structure such as alcohols, glycol, and ethers.
Ques. What are Non-polar Solvents? (3 Marks)
Ans. Non-Polar Solvents are a type of solvent made up of molecules that contain bonds between atoms with the same or similar electronegativity.
- They have a low dielectric constant and dipole moment.
- Non-Polar Solvents have low static permittivity.
- Examples of non-polar solvents are Chloroform, Pentane, Toluene, and Hexane.
Ques. Give two examples each of polar, non-polar, aprotic, and protic solvents. (3 Marks)
Ans. Examples of the various types of Solvents are as follows:
- Polar Solvents: Water and Acetic Acid
- Non-polar Solvents: Carbon Tetrachloride and Benzene
- Aprotic Solvents: Hexane and Methylene Chloride
- Protic Solvents: Alcohol and Carboxylic Acid
Ques. Is water an aprotic solvent? Give reason. (1 Mark)
Ans. No, water is not an aprotic solvent. It is classified as a protic solvent. A polar aprotic solvent cannot have a hydrogen atom attached directly to an electronegative atom and is incapable of hydrogen bonding.
Ques. What are Polar Solvents? (3 Marks)
Ans. Polar solvents are a type of solvent made up of molecules that contain bonds between atoms with different electronegativity.
- They have a high dielectric constant and dipole moment.
- They are further classified into protic and aprotic solvents.
- Examples of Polar Solvents are Water, Methanol, Ammonia, Ethanol, etc.
Ques. Can vinegar be considered a solvent? (2 Marks)
Ans. The composition of vinegar is the acetic acid solution in water, hence it becomes very difficult to understand which is the solute and which is the solvent based on a two-liquid solution. Furthermore, a solvent is one whose quantity is more than the solute in the solution. In the case of vinegar, water is the solvent and acetic acid is the solute.
Check-Out:
Comments