What are different solutes?

A solute is something that gets mixed into another thing to make a solution, like how sugar gets mixed into water to make sweet water.

Imagine you're playing with your favorite building blocks. Each block represents a solute, and the space where they go in is like the solvent, which is usually a liquid, like water.

• Sugar is a solute because when you put it into water, it disappears, kind of like how your favorite snack melts in your hand.
• Salt is also a solute. When you mix salt into water, the salt breaks apart and mixes with the water, just like how pepper mixes into soup.
• Food coloring is another solute. It’s what makes your lemonade look pretty, it goes into the liquid and changes its color.

Sometimes, solutes can be solids, like sugar or salt, but they can also be liquids, like juice, when you mix orange juice into water, that's a solution too!

Each kind of solute behaves differently in the solvent, just like how each toy behaves differently when you build with them.