What term refers to a dissolved substance in a solution?

The term that refers to a dissolved substance in a solution is "solute." In the context of a solution, the solute is the component that gets dissolved, while the solvent is the substance that does the dissolving. For example, in a saltwater solution, salt serves as the solute, and water acts as the solvent.

Understanding this term is vital in various fields, including chemistry and biology, as it helps describe how substances interact in solutions. The concepts of solute and solvent are foundational for discussions about concentrations, reactions that occur in solutions, and the behavior of different substances when mixed.

The other terms serve different functions: a suspension involves particles that are dispersed but not dissolved, meaning they can settle out over time; a solution is a homogeneous mixture of solutes and solvents; and the solvent is specifically the medium in which the solute dissolves. Understanding these distinctions helps clarify the roles of different components in mixtures and solutions.