Question

In brass,
A) zinc is the solvent and copper acts as solute.
B) Copper excess solvent and Zinc at as salute
C) Copper and Zinc both act as solute
D) Copper and Zinc both act as solvent.

Answer 1

Brass is an alloy of Copper and Zinc used extensively for musical instruments such as horns and bells, and it is also used as a substitute of copper in making costume jewelry, jewelry for fashion and other jewelry.

Complete answer:
We know that alloys are a mixture of two or more than two metals which results in enhanced properties of resulting alloy formed than the original individual metals.d-block elements are known for farming alloys because of the presence of interstitial space.
Basic brass production is done by alloying copper and zinc which are melted together in electric induction melting furnaces holding from 1 ton up to 10 tons.
Brass is produced by the cementation process where copper and zinc ore are heated together in this process zinc vapour reacts with copper to form brass and the proportion of copper is 70 % while zinc is 30%. So here zinc is dissolved in copper and we know that solute always dissolves in solvent therefore copper acts as solvent and Zinc act as solute.
So option B which states copper acts as solvent and Zinc acts as solute is the correct answer.

Note: When the proportion of solute and solvent metal is changed they produce different alloy.
Example is commercial bronze where the composition is 90% Copper and 10% of zinc. Mainly bronze is made from 90 % of Copper and 10% of tin.