Question

In a gaseous or liquid solution, is the the volume of the solvent greater to or less than the volume of the solute?

Answer 1

In liquid solution, the volume of the solvent should be much greater than the volume of the solute.

Explanation:

A liquid solvent can typically solvate bulk quantities of solute WITHOUT the volume of the solution changing too much from that of the parent solvent.

In gaseous solution, i.e. a mixture of two gases, the volume of solvent gas should be precisely the same as the volume of the solute gas. `"Dalton's Law of Partial Pressures"` assures us that in a gaseous mixture, the partial pressure of each component gas is the same as the pressure it would exert if it alone occupied the container.