Pennsylvania Esthetician State Board Practice Exam

What term describes the solid or dissolved part of a solution?

1. Miscible

2. Solvent

3. Solute

4. Emulsifier

The correct answer is: Solute

The term that describes the solid or dissolved part of a solution is "solute." In the context of a solution, the solute is the substance that is dissolved in a solvent, resulting in a homogeneous mixture. For example, when salt is dissolved in water, the salt acts as the solute, whereas water is the solvent. Understanding the role of a solute is essential in various applications within esthetics, such as in the formulation of products that involve solutions for skin treatments. Miscibility refers to the ability of substances to mix together, particularly liquids. While it is related to solutions, it does not specifically describe the components within them. The solvent is the component of the solution that is present in the greatest amount and does the dissolving, which differentiates it from the solute. An emulsifier is a substance that helps to stabilize mixtures of water and oils, but it does not define the solid or dissolved part of a solution. Therefore, "solute" is the most accurate term to denote the component being referred to in the question.