Is air a solution?
3 Answers
No. It is a mixture.
Explanation:
A "solution" is reserved for mixtures in a liquid, just as "alloys" are reserved for solid (metals) mixtures. In the gas phase is it called a mixture.
Yes
Explanation:
Air is a gas/ gas/gas solution.
The air is approximately 80% Nitrogen which could be considered the solvent of the atmosphere.
The air is approximately 20% Oxygen which could be considered the solute of the atmosphere
there are also trace amounts of other gases, dissolved into the atmosphere, Carbon dioxide, water vapor, Helium, Radon. sulfur dioxide and others
Some people regard it as a solution. Personally, I don't.
Explanation:
Air is a homogeneous mixture of gases, so it could in theory be regarded as a gaseous solution. However, I personally do not treat air as a solution, for the simple reason that there are virtually no interactions between the atoms of the various component gasses.
So in terms of describing or understanding the chemistry of air, I don't find any value in treating it as a solution.
