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A substance is soluble if it dissolves in certain fluids.
The dissolved substance is called the solute and the fluid (present in excess) is called the solvent, which together form a solution. The process of dissolving is called solvation, or hydration if the solvent is water.
A solution at equilibrium and cannot hold any more solute is said to be saturated. Solutions may, under special conditions, hold more solute than the solvent can normally dissolve. This is called supersaturation.
The degree one substance dissolves in another is determined by the intermolecular forces between the solvent and solute, temperature, and the entropy change that accompanies the solvation. Some substances are soluble in alcohol which are not soluble in water.
Solvents are normally characterized as polar or nonpolar. Polar solvents will dissolve ionic compounds and covalent compounds which ionize, while nonpolar solvents will dissolve nonpolar covalent compounds. For example, ordinary table salt, an ionic compound, will dissolve in water, but not in ethanol.
Common solvents used in organic chemistry include acetone, ethanol, water, and benzene.
While solutions are typically thought of as solids being mixed into liquids, any two states of matter can be mixed and be called a solution. Carbonated water is a solution of a gas in a liquid, and stainless steel is a solution of a solid in a solid (called an alloy).
See also
de:lösungsmittel
es:Solubilidad
fr:Soluble
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