Question

The solvent used to prepare aqueous solutions is:

• A. Water
• B. Kerosene
• C. Petrol
• D.

Hint:

Remember, aqueous solutions specifically use water as the solvent.

Answer 1

The Correct Option is A

Understanding the Concept:
An aqueous solution is defined purely by its solvent: it must be water. Kerosene and petrol are both non-polar hydrocarbon liquids, chemically very different from water.

Key Formula or Approach:
Water is a polar solvent, meaning its molecules have a partial positive and partial negative end, which lets it dissolve many polar and ionic substances (salts, sugars, and so on) and mix with them completely.

Detailed Explanation:
Kerosene and petrol are non-polar, so they dissolve oils and greases well but do not mix with water or dissolve ionic compounds the way water does. Because "aqueous" specifically names water as the solvent, and kerosene and petrol are not water, neither of them can ever be used to prepare an aqueous solution, no matter what is dissolved in them.

Final Answer:
Water is the solvent used to prepare aqueous solutions.

Answer 2

Another way to approach this is through where each liquid is actually used. Aqueous solutions are common in everyday life, from saline drips to sugar syrups, and every one of them relies on the same solvent.

1. Water: Household and laboratory aqueous solutions, salt water, sugar solutions, saline, are all made by dissolving a solute in water, which is exactly what "aqueous" means.
2. Kerosene: Kerosene is used as a fuel and as a solvent for oils and waxes, never for preparing aqueous solutions, since it contains no water.
3. Petrol: Petrol is used as a fuel for engines and dissolves non-polar substances like grease, but it plays no role in making an aqueous solution.
4. (blank option): With no liquid named, this option gives nothing to compare against water, kerosene, or petrol.

Since aqueous solutions are, by definition, solutions in water, and none of the other listed liquids contain water, water is the only solvent that qualifies.

So the correct answer is water.