Concentration of Solutions
Solutions may be classified on the basis of the amount of solvent and solute present in them.
When a solution contains a relatively large amount of solute per unit volume, the solution is said to be concentrated.
However, if the solution contains a relatively small amount of solute per unit volume, the solution is said to be diluted. This concentration of solutions is only expressed qualitatively.
The concentration of solutions is the amount of solute present in a given quantity of solution. The most common ways of expressing concentration are by percent by mass and percent by volume as shown in the table.
| Concentration Unit | Symbol | Formula Relationship |
|---|---|---|
| mass/mass | %(m/m) | \[ \frac{\text{mass of solute}}{\text{mass of solution}} \times 100 \] |
| volume/volume | %(v/v) | \[ \frac{\text{volume of solute}}{\text{volume of solution}} \times 100 \] |
| mass/volume | %(m/v) | \[ \frac{\text{mass of solute}}{\text{volume of solution}} \times 100 \] |
