Question

In ocean water, is salt a solvent or a solute?

Answer 1

Surely it is a `"solute........."`?

Explanation:

A solution is composed of a disperse phase, the `"SOLVENT"` and is ALSO the reagent in excess; it dissolves a `"SOLUTE"`, the species in solution.

Solutes and solvent can be gaseous, liquid or solids. The air we breathe is certainly an example of a solution. An alloy is also an example of a solution.

And for sea water, we have (among other things) sodium chloride dissolved in water to give discrete `Na^+` and `Cl^-` ions, i.e. the `"solute"`.