Solutions

A solution is a kind of mixture that looks the same everywhere. One thing dissolves into another and you cannot see it anymore. Salt water is a solution. So is sugar stirred into tea.

How Solutions Form

When something dissolves, its tiny parts spread out evenly. The thing that dissolves is called the solute. The thing it dissolves into is called the solvent. Water is the most common solvent on Earth. Warm water can usually dissolve things faster than cold water.

Solutions Around Us

Solutions are all around you every day. Soda is water with sugar, flavors, and gas dissolved in it. Ocean water is a solution of salt in water. Even the air you breathe is a solution of gases. Some metals are melted together to make solid solutions called alloys.

Fun Facts

• Honey is a natural solution made by bees.
• Brass is a solid solution of copper and zinc.
• Not all liquids mix, like oil and water which stay separate.

Did You Know?

Your blood is a solution that carries food and oxygen to every part of your body.