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How can gases, solids, and liquids all be ingredients in a liquid mixture?
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Figure 1: Phase diagram of argon.
Gases, solids, and liquids can all be ingredients in a liquid mixture because a liquid can act as a solvent to dissolve other substances, regardless of their original state of matter.12
In such a mixture, the liquid is designated as the solvent, while the substance addedâwhether it is a solid, gas, or another liquidâis called the solute. When these substances are dissolved, they become part of the liquid phase. For example:12
- Solids: Salts dissolved in seawater are solids in their pure form, but they exist as part of the liquid mixture in the ocean.2
- Gases: Gases can dissolve in liquids, such as oxygen dissolving into blood plasma. The solubility of these gases often depends on factors like pressure and temperature.134
- Liquids: Two liquids can mix to form a solution, such as water and methyl alcohol, which are completely miscible.34
This ability of liquids to incorporate various substances is fundamental to many natural processes and industrial applications, including chemical analysis and extraction.13