Question

Solutions are classified into aqueous and non-aqueous solutions, based on:

• A. Nature of solute particles
• B. Nature of solvent
• C. Size of the particles
• D. Thickness of solvent

Hint:

The classification of solutions as aqueous or non-aqueous is based on the solvent used, not the solute or the size of the particles.

Answer 1

The Correct Option is B

Understanding the Concept:
A solution has two parts: the solvent, which is present in the larger amount and does the dissolving, and the solute, which is the substance dissolved in it. The label "aqueous" or "non-aqueous" is a statement about the solvent alone.

Key Formula or Approach:
The word "aqueous" comes from the Latin "aqua," meaning water. So an aqueous solution simply means "a solution in water," and a non-aqueous solution means "a solution in something other than water."

Detailed Explanation:
Take common table salt as the solute. Dissolve it in water and it is called an aqueous solution of salt. Dissolve the very same salt in ethanol instead, and it becomes a non-aqueous solution of salt. The solute (salt) has not changed at all between the two cases, yet the label flips, which shows the label is fixed by the solvent, not the solute.

Final Answer:
The classification into aqueous and non-aqueous solutions is based on the nature of the solvent.

Answer 2

One way to settle this is to ask what each option actually measures, and then see if that quantity could ever flip a solution from "aqueous" to "non-aqueous" while keeping everything else fixed.

1. Nature of solute particles: Dissolving sugar or salt or any other solute in water still gives an aqueous solution regardless of what the solute is, so the solute's identity cannot be the deciding factor.
2. Nature of solvent: Swap the solvent from water to, say, acetone, while keeping the same solute, and the solution stops being aqueous. Changing only the solvent flips the label, which is exactly what defines this classification.
3. Size of the particles: Particle size is what distinguishes a true solution from a colloid or suspension; it says nothing about whether the solvent used is water.
4. Thickness of solvent: A thick (viscous) liquid like glycerol and a thin one like water can both be solvents; viscosity does not decide the aqueous versus non-aqueous label either.

Only changing the solvent itself changes whether a solution counts as aqueous, which points to the solvent's nature as the deciding factor.

So the correct answer is nature of solvent.