Solutions in Everyday Life 🌍
Most things around us are mixtures, not pure substances. The mix’s make-up decides its use—think brass vs. bronze or the tiny 1 ppm of fluoride that keeps our teeth healthy (but 1.5 ppm causes mottling!). Intravenous drips, cooking salt water, even air—all are solutions at work. :contentReference[oaicite:10]{index=10}
What exactly is a solution? 🤔
- Solution – a homogeneous mixture whose make-up is uniform everywhere. :contentReference[oaicite:11]{index=11}
- Solvent – the component present in the largest amount; it sets the solution’s physical state (solid, liquid, or gas). :contentReference[oaicite:12]{index=12}
- Solute(s) – the other component(s) sprinkled in. :contentReference[oaicite:13]{index=13}
- In this chapter we zoom in on binary solutions—just one solute + one solvent. :contentReference[oaicite:14]{index=14}
Classifying Solutions 🧩
The trick is to look at the physical states of both solute and solvent:
| Solution Type | Solute State | Solvent State | Everyday Example |
|---|---|---|---|
| Gaseous | Gas | Gas | Air (O2 + N2) |
| Liquid | Gas | Chloroform in N2 | |
| Solid | Gas | Camphor in N2 | |
| Liquid | Gas | Liquid | O2 in water |
| Liquid | Liquid | Ethanol in water (your sanitiser 🍶) | |
| Solid | Liquid | Glucose in water (IV drip) | |
| Solid | Gas | Solid | H2 in palladium |
| Liquid | Solid | Sodium–mercury amalgam | |
| Solid | Solid | Copper in gold (rose gold 💍) |
These nine combos cover every “who-dissolved-in-what” possibility! :contentReference[oaicite:15]{index=15}
Talking about How Much is Dissolved 📊
Words like “dilute” or “concentrated” feel fuzzy, so chemists use numbers. Here are two student-friendly ways:
1. Mass percentage (w/w) 🏋️♀️
\[
\text{Mass % of a component} \;=\; \frac{\text{Mass of the component in the solution}}{\text{Total mass of the solution}}\;\times\;100
\]
Example: “10 % glucose solution” ⇒ 10 g glucose + 90 g water → 100 g solution. Bleaching liquid holds 3.62 % NaOCl. :contentReference[oaicite:16]{index=16}
2. Volume percentage (V/V) 🧪
\[ \text{Volume % of a component} \;=\; \frac{\text{Volume of the component}}{\text{Total volume of solution}}\;\times\;100 \] This is handy for liquids mixed with liquids or gases. :contentReference[oaicite:17]{index=17}
Cool real-world twist 🌟
A part per million (ppm) tells us the tiniest traces—just 1 ppm of fluoride in water protects teeth, while 1.5 ppm stains them. :contentReference[oaicite:18]{index=18}
Quick NEET Pointers 🔥
- Know the nine possible solute–solvent pairs (gas/liquid/solid combos) and examples.
- Remember definitions of solution, solute, solvent, and binary solution.
- Master the mass % and volume % formulas—and be ready to plug in numbers fast.
- Understand why tiny values like ppm matter in biology and medicine (fluoride story!).
- Practice classifying everyday mixtures (air, alloys, soft drinks) into the right solution type.
👍 Keep practicing—little steps add up, just like solute particles in a solution! 🌟
