Dissolve - GCSE Chemistry Definition

In chemistry, "dissolve" refers to the process where a solid, liquid, or gas mixes evenly with a liquid to form a solution. When a substance dissolves, it breaks down into smaller particles that spread throughout the liquid, becoming invisible or clear. For example, when you add sugar to tea, the sugar dissolves. This means it mixes with the tea until you can’t see it any more, but still taste it. The liquid that does the dissolving is called the solvent, and the substance being dissolved is the solute. Dissolving occurs because the attraction between the solute and solvent particles is strong enough to overcome the forces holding the solute particles together. This allows the solute to spread out and mix with the solvent.