Question

What is a solvent?
A) A substance present in great amount in a solution
B) A substance in which solute is dissolved
C) Water is a most common solvent
D) All of the above

Answer 1

We have to know that a solute and solvent can be gas, liquid or solid depending upon the choice of solution to be made. But irrespective of that the definitions of a solute and solvent are specific that makes up the solution.

Complete step by step answer:
We also remember that a solution is a mixture of solute and solvent.
Solute is a substance that dissolves in a solvent to give a solution and solvent is a substance in which solute is dissolved to give a solution.
Most commonly water works as solvent as in it most salts get dissolved.
For example: $NaCl$ is a salt which gets dissolved in water to form a brine solution.
So here $NaCl$ behaves as a solute and also it will be present in a smaller amount in a solution.
Water on the other hand behaves as a solvent in which $NaCl$ gets dissolved and mostly it will be present in larger amounts in a solution.
A solute or solvent can be gas, liquid or solid. Solvent is a substance in which solute breaks itself to get homogeneously mixed to form a solution.
Boiling point of solvent is always higher than the solute.

The choice of solvent and solute depends on the type of solution to be made.
Option A) this option can be correct as Solvent is a substance that is present in larger amounts. But we must look at all other options too.
Option B) This option can be correct as Solvent is a substance in which solute is dissolved. But we must look at all other options too.
Option C) this option can be correct as water is the most common solvent in which salts get dissolved. But we must look at all other options too.
Option D) so since all the options given above are correct therefore this option that says all of the above is a correct option for this question.

Hence, the correct answer is ‘Option D’.

Note: We also remember that the solution is a homogenous mixture of solute and solvent and solute is the one which is present in smaller quantities. One must look at all the options given before answering.