What is aqueous in chemistry

An aqueous solution is any solution in which water H 2 O is the solvent. In a chemical equation , the symbol aq follows a species name to indicate that it is in aqueous solution.

For example, dissolving salt in water has the chemical reaction:. Although water is often called the universal solvent , it dissolves only substances that are hydrophilic in nature. Examples of hydrophilic molecules include acids, bases, and many salts.

Substances that are hydrophobic do not dissolve well in water and tend not to form aqueous solutions. Examples include many organic molecules, including fats and oils. When electrolytes—such as NaCl and KCl—dissolve in water, the ions allow the solution to conduct electricity.

Nonelectrolytes like sugar also dissolve in water, but the molecule remains intact and the solution is not conductive. Cola, saltwater, rain, acid solutions, base solutions, and salt solutions are examples of aqueous solutions. Examples of solutions that are not aqueous solutions include any liquid that does not contain water. Vegetable oil, toluene, acetone, carbon tetrachloride, and solutions made using these solvents are not aqueous solutions.

This service is more advanced with JavaScript available. Encyclopedia of Geochemistry Edition. Editors: William M. Contents Search. Aqueous Solutions. Authors Authors and affiliations Barry R. Bickmore Matthew C. Reference work entry First Online: 18 July How to cite. Definition An aqueous solution is one in which the solvent is liquid water. An aqueous solution is water that contains one or more dissolved substance.

The dissolved substances in an aqueous solution may be solids, gases, or other liquids. In order to be a true solution, a mixture must be stable. When sugar is fully dissolved into water, it can stand for an indefinite amount of time, and the sugar will not settle out of the solution. Further, if the sugar-water solution is passed through a filter, it will remain with the water. Solute particles can be atoms, ions, or molecules, depending on the type of substance that has been dissolved.

Water typically dissolves most ionic compounds and polar molecules. Nonpolar molecules, such as those found in grease or oil, do not dissolve in water. We will first examine the process that occurs when an ionic compound, such as table salt sodium chloride , dissolves in water.

Water molecules move about continuously due to their kinetic energy. When a crystal of sodium chloride is placed into water, the water's molecules collide with the crystal lattice. Recall that the crystal lattice is composed of alternating positive and negative ions. Water is attracted to the sodium chloride crystal because water is polar; it has both a positive and a negative end.

The positively charged sodium ions in the crystal attract the oxygen end of the water molecules because they are partially negative. The negatively charged chloride ions in the crystal attract the hydrogen end of the water molecules because they are partially positive. The action of the polar water molecules takes the crystal lattice apart see figure below. After coming apart from the crystal, the individual ions are then surrounded by solvent particles in a process called solvation.

Likewise, the chloride ions are surrounded by water molecules with the opposite orientation. Hydration is the process of solute particles being surrounded by water molecules arranged in a specific manner. Hydration helps to stabilize aqueous solutions by preventing the positive and negative ions from coming back together and forming a precipitate. So, you might say that aqueous solutions matter a lot, as they are literally an entire state, or configuration, of this stuff we call matter.

To your physics teacher, the 4th state of matter would be called plasma. To your chemistry teacher, the 4th state of matter would be called an aqueous solution. A child playing with corn starch might think that oobleck is the 4th state of matter. Oobleck definitely would win the contest if it were based on how fun the name was to say. Yet, at least in chemistry, the 4th state of matter is an aqueous solution. So what is an aqueous solution? It simply means dissolved.

Yes, the everyday concept of dissolving something. The aqueous solution definition means simply that something has been dissolved in water. The aqueous symbol is aq. That might seem strange at first that dissolving something in water creates a whole new state of matter. So why are aqueous solutions important in chemistry? Take a look at the image with the beakers.

Is this what you think of when you think of chemistry? Beakers full of things that look like liquids… except they are not called liquids… they are called aqueous solutions. For now, you might think about how easy it is to do chemistry just by pouring some beakers of solution together and watching what happens.

Everything is dissolved in water, and we just pour the beaker contents to make the experiment happen. A common example is an acid-base reaction. Also, note that you yes, you , everything around you, and most of the planet contains water with things dissolved in that water. What are examples of aqueous solutions?