What is a solution?

A solution is best defined as a homogeneous mixture of a solvent and a solute. In this context, the solvent is typically a liquid that dissolves a substance, which is the solute. When the solute is added to the solvent, it disburses uniformly, creating a single-phase mixture where all components are evenly distributed. This uniformity is why solutions are considered homogeneous; they have a consistent composition throughout.

In contrast to other definitions, solutions are distinct from pure substances, which consist of only one type of particle, and from heterogeneous mixtures, where different components can be seen and are not uniformly mixed. The process of separating mixtures is not indicative of what a solution is; rather, it refers to techniques such as filtration or distillation that deal with mixtures rather than defining the nature of a solution itself.