Inaugurated by IN-SPACe
ISRO Registered Space Tutor
S4-SA2-0285
What is a Dilute Solution?
Grade Level:
Class 6
Space Technology, EVs, Climate Change, Biotechnology, HealthTech, Robotics, Chemistry, Physics
Definition
What is it?
A dilute solution is a mixture where a small amount of a substance (solute) is dissolved in a large amount of another substance (solvent). Think of it as a 'weak' solution, like light nimbu pani.
Simple Example
Quick Example
Imagine you are making a glass of Tang. If you add just half a spoon of Tang powder to a full glass of water, the drink will taste very mild. This mild Tang drink is a dilute solution because there's very little powder (solute) in a lot of water (solvent).
Worked Example
Step-by-Step
Let's say you have a bottle of concentrated cough syrup and you need to make a dilute dose for a child.
Step 1: Take 10 ml of the cough syrup (solute).
---Step 2: Take 90 ml of plain water (solvent).
---Step 3: Carefully mix the 10 ml cough syrup into the 90 ml water in a clean cup.
---Step 4: Stir the mixture gently until the syrup is evenly spread throughout the water.
---Step 5: You now have a total of 100 ml of a dilute cough syrup solution (10 ml syrup + 90 ml water). This is safer for the child because it's less concentrated.
Answer: The resulting 100 ml mixture is a dilute solution of cough syrup.
Why It Matters
Understanding dilute solutions is important in many fields. In HealthTech, pharmacists dilute medicines to the right strength for patients. In Biotechnology, scientists prepare dilute solutions of chemicals for experiments. Even in our kitchens, we dilute juices or sauces to get the perfect taste and consistency.
Common Mistakes
MISTAKE: Thinking 'dilute' means there's no solute at all. | CORRECTION: A dilute solution still has solute, just a small amount compared to the solvent.
MISTAKE: Confusing dilute with 'pure solvent'. | CORRECTION: Pure solvent (like plain water) has no solute. A dilute solution has some solute dissolved in it.
MISTAKE: Believing a dilute solution is always tasteless or colourless. | CORRECTION: A dilute solution can still have taste or colour, it's just much lighter than a concentrated one (e.g., light blue ink diluted in water still looks light blue).
Practice Questions
Try It Yourself
QUESTION: If you add one drop of blue food colour to a full glass of water, what kind of solution do you get? | ANSWER: A dilute solution.
QUESTION: You have 100 ml of water. Which addition will make a more dilute solution: adding 1 gram of salt or adding 10 grams of salt? | ANSWER: Adding 1 gram of salt will make a more dilute solution.
QUESTION: A chef wants to make a very mild chilli sauce. He mixes 5 ml of concentrated chilli paste with 200 ml of tomato puree. Is this a dilute or concentrated sauce, and why? | ANSWER: This is a dilute sauce because a very small amount of chilli paste (solute) is mixed with a large amount of tomato puree (solvent).
MCQ
Quick Quiz
Which of these describes a dilute solution?
A lot of solute in a little solvent
A small amount of solute in a large amount of solvent
No solute at all, only solvent
Equal amounts of solute and solvent
The Correct Answer Is:
B
A dilute solution means there's only a little bit of the dissolved substance (solute) in a lot of the dissolving substance (solvent). Option B correctly describes this balance.
Real World Connection
In the Real World
Think about the medicines your doctor prescribes. Many liquid medicines, especially for children, are prepared as dilute solutions so they are safe and easy to consume. For example, a paediatrician might advise you to dilute a strong antibiotic syrup with a specific amount of water before giving it to a baby.
Key Vocabulary
Key Terms
SOLUTE: The substance that dissolves in another substance | SOLVENT: The substance that dissolves the solute | SOLUTION: A uniform mixture formed when a solute dissolves in a solvent | CONCENTRATED: A solution with a large amount of solute compared to the solvent
What's Next
What to Learn Next
Great job understanding dilute solutions! Next, you should learn about 'Concentrated Solutions'. This will help you compare and understand the opposite of dilute, and how we measure the strength of different solutions.
