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Solvate for Dummies

noun

pronunciation: 'sɑlveɪt

What does Solvate really mean?

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Solvate means to dissolve a substance in a solvent, like water, to create a solution. Let me explain it to you using an analogy.

Imagine you have a yummy glass of lemonade powder, but it's a little too concentrated for your taste buds. What do you do? You take a spoonful of the powder and dissolve it in a cup of water. As you mix it, you see the lemonade powder slowly disappearing into the water until it completely blends in and forms a delicious lemonade drink. That process of the lemonade powder dissolving in water is what we call solvation, and when it's all mixed together, it forms a solvated solution.

Similarly, when we say something solvates, it means that it can dissolve or mix with another substance, usually a liquid, to form a solution. Just like the lemonade powder dissolves in water, some substances can dissolve in other liquids, forming a solution.

Now, there is another definition for solvate, which is a bit like giving a cozy home to a guest. Let's say your friend comes to visit, and you offer them a place to stay in your home. In a way, you have solvated your friend, providing them with a comfortable shelter. In chemistry, this idea is similar. Sometimes, a molecule or ion is surrounded or enclosed by a solvent, just like your friend is by your home. This phenomenon is also called solvation.

So, in a nutshell, solvate means dissolving a substance in a liquid to create a solution or securely enclosing a substance with a solvent, like giving it a cozy room in a house. It's like mixing up a yummy drink or offering someone a warm and welcoming home.


Revised and Fact checked by Sophia Wilson on 2023-10-28 19:26:11

Solvate In a sentece

Learn how to use Solvate inside a sentece

  • When you mix salt with water, the salt particles dissolve in the water to form a solvate.
  • If you add sugar to a cup of tea and stir it, the sugar will form a solvate with the tea.
  • When you pour vinegar on baking soda, the two substances react and solvate to produce bubbles and foam.
  • If you mix oil and vinegar in a salad dressing, the vinegar will solvate some of the oil molecules.
  • When you put a cube of sugar in a glass of lemonade, the sugar will slowly solvate and disappear as it mixes with the liquid.

Solvate Hypernyms

Words that are more generic than the original word.

alter alter change change change state change state chemical compound chemical compound compound compound modify modify turn turn

Solvate Category

The domain category to which the original word belongs.

chemical science chemical science chemical science chemical science chemistry chemistry chemistry chemistry