Editing Aqueous solution (section)

{{short description|Solution in which the solvent is water}}
{{Redirect|Aqueous|the fluid in the eye|Aqueous humour}}
[[File:Na+H2O.svg|thumb|right|The first [[solvation shell]] of a sodium ion dissolved in water]]

An '''aqueous solution''' is a [[Solution (chemistry)|solution]] in which the [[solvent]] is [[water]]. It is mostly shown in [[chemical equation]]s by appending (aq) to the relevant [[chemical formula]]. For example, a solution of [[table salt]], also known as [[sodium chloride]] (NaCl), in water would be represented as {{chem2|Na+(aq) + Cl−(aq)}}. The word ''aqueous'' (which comes from ''aqua'') means pertaining to, related to, similar to, or [[solvation|dissolved]] in, water.<ref name=":02">{{Cite book |last=Zumdahl |first=Steven |title=Chemistry (4th ed.) |publisher=Houghton Mifflin Company |year=1997 |isbn=9780669417944 |location=Boston, MA |pages=133–145}}</ref><ref>{{Cite journal |last=Sorrenti |first=A. |last2=Illa |first2=O. |last3=Ortuño |first3=R. M. |date=2013-10-07 |title=Amphiphiles in aqueous solution: well beyond a soap bubble |url=https://pubs.rsc.org/en/content/articlelanding/2013/cs/c3cs60151j |journal=Chemical Society Reviews |language=en |volume=42 |issue=21 |pages=8200–8219 |doi=10.1039/C3CS60151J |issn=1460-4744 |pmid=23884241|url-access=subscription }}</ref> As water is an excellent solvent and is also naturally abundant, it is a ubiquitous solvent in [[chemistry]]. Since water is frequently used as the solvent in experiments, the word solution refers to an aqueous solution, unless the solvent is specified.<ref name=":1">{{Cite book |last=Atkins |first=Peter |title=Chemical Principles: The Quest for Insight (3rd ed.) |date=19 March 2004 |publisher=W.H. Freeman and Company |isbn=0-7167-5701-X |location=New York, NY |pages=F61–F64}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=What Is an Aqueous Solution? Chemistry Definition and Example |url=https://www.thoughtco.com/definition-of-aqueous-solution-604370 |access-date=2024-08-24 |website=ThoughtCo |language=en}}</ref>

{{anchor|non-aqueous solution}}A ''non-aqueous solution'' is a solution in which the solvent is a liquid, but is not water.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Solutions |url=http://www.chemistry.wustl.edu/~coursedev/Online%20tutorials/Solutions.htm |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180425105000/http://www.chemistry.wustl.edu/~coursedev/Online%20tutorials/Solutions.htm |archive-date=25 April 2018 |access-date=13 April 2018 |website=Washington University Chemistry Department |publisher=Washington University}}</ref>