What is a Solute?
Answer – The substance that is dissolved into the solvent to create a solution is called a solute.
Explanation:
A solution is a homogenous mixture of two or more substances. Of these, usually, at least one is a liquid.
The liquid component is called the solvent, and is often present in a larger quantity. The substance that is dissolved into the solvent is usually a solid, and is called solute. It is the minor component, i.e., it is present in a smaller quantity than the solvent.
Thus, for instance, in a saline solution the solvent is water, while salt is the solute.