A solute particle that is surrounded by solvent molecules is described as what?

• A. Hydrated
• B. Dissolved
• C. Solvated
• D. Ionized

Answer: (C)

A solute particle that is surrounded by solvent molecules is solvated. Solvation is the general process in which solvent molecules arrange themselves around a solute due to intermolecular forces, forming a stabilizing shell around the particle. If the solvent happens to be water, you might hear the term hydrated, but hydration is just a specific case of solvation with water. Dissolved would imply the solute has fully dispersed into the solution, not just that it has solvent molecules clustered around it, and ionized would mean the particle has lost or gained electrons to become an ion. So solvated is the best descriptor for a particle encased by solvent.