What does concentrated mean?

• A. A solution that contains a large number of solute molecules or little amount of water is involved.
• B. A solution with a lot of water.
• C. A solution with no solute.
• D. A solution at high temperature.

Answer: (A)

Concentration describes how much solute is dissolved in a solvent, i.e., the amount of dissolved substance relative to the amount of solvent. When a solution has a large amount of solute compared with the solvent (or very little solvent), it is described as concentrated. That’s why the option stating a solution with a large amount of solute or little water best matches the idea of concentration. Having a lot of water means there’s much solvent relative to solute, which makes the solution dilute, not concentrated. A solution with no solute is just pure solvent, so it isn’t concentrated. Temperature doesn’t define concentration; it can affect how much dissolves, but concentration itself is about the ratio of solute to solvent.