In chemical terms, a solution is not the answer to a problem but a mixture of a solid substance dissolved in a liquid. The solid is called a solute and the liquid is called a solvent. Some solids dissolve very easily and are said to be soluble. Something that will not dissolve in liquid is insoluble.
Solutions are a homogeneous mixture of two or more substances. It has homogeneity at the particle level. Usually, people think of it as some liquid with either a solid or a liquid or a gas dissolved in it. However, this is not entirely true. We can also have solid solutions like alloys. For example:
Air: It is a mixture of gas in gas. Air is a homogeneous mixture of a number of gases. The two main constituents of gases are oxygen (21%) and Nitrogen (78%).
Alloys: Alloys are homogeneous mixtures of metals. They cannot be separated into their individual components by physical methods. Irrespective of that, an alloy is considered as a mixture. It is because an alloy shows the properties of its constituents and can have variable composition. For example, brass is a mixture of 30% zinc and 70% copper.
The substances that make up a homogeneous solution are called components of the solution. It has basically has two components i.e. a solvent and a solute.
Solvent: The component of a solution which dissolves the other component in itself is called solvent. A solvent constitutes the larger component of the solution. For example, a solution of sugar in water is solid in the liquid. Here, sugar is the solute and water is the solvent.
Solute: The component of the solution which dissolves in the solvent is called solute. The solute is the smaller component of the solution. For example, a solution of iodine in alcohol known as ‘tincture of iodine’, iodine is the solute. Similarly, in carbonated drinks (Soda water), carbon dioxide gas is the solute.
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