Mar 7, 2023

Solute, Solvent, Absorption, Adsorption

Solute: the substance that dissolves in a solvent to produce a homogeneous mixture, a solute can be a gas, a liquid, or a solid. (solute is a small substance in solvent)
Microscopic view of bromine gas dissolved in Ar gasMicroscopic view of argon gas dissolved in liquid water
Microscopic view of Br2 gas (solute) dissolved in Ar gas (solvent).Microscopic view of Ar gas (solute) dissolved in liquid H2O (solvent).
Microscopic view of liquid bromine dissolved in liquid waterMicroscopic view of solid NaCl dissolved in liquid water
Microscopic view of Br2 liquid (solute) dissolved in liquid H2O (solvent).Microscopic view of solid NaCl (solute) dissolved in liquid H2O (solvent). 

Solvent: the substance in which a solute dissolves to produce a homogeneous mixture, solvents can also be gases, liquids, or solids

source

Adsorption: the adhesion of molecules (or ions and atoms) to the surface of a solid or liquid. The molecules accumulate only at the surface and do not enter the bulk of the adsorbing material. 

      • Adsorbate: the substance whose molecules get adsorbed at the surface.
      • Adsorbent: the substance on whose surface the process takes place.
      • It is a surface phenomenon.
      • Adsorbents substance: Alumina gel, Silica gel, Zeolites, Activated carbon, Graphite
      • Desorption: the reverse process in which the adsorbed substance is removed from the surface of the adsorbent.

Absorption: the assimilation of molecular species throughout the bulk of the solid or liquid.

Gas-liquid absorption (a) and liquid-solid adsorption (b) mechanism. Blue spheres are solute molecules  
By