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Definition

Aqueous refers to a solution in water.

A more exact definition is a solution in which the solute (the substance dissolved) initially is a liquid or a solid and the solvent is water.

Additional Info

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Aqueous solutions fall into three general categories based on how well they conduct electricity:

• Strong electrolytes when dissolved in water dissociate completely into ions and conduct electricity. For example, sodium chloride, NaCl, dissociates into Na⁺ and Cl^- ions in water. Other examples of strong electrolytes are nitric acid (HNO₃) and sodium hydroxide (NaOH).
  
  
• Weak electrolytes when dissolved in water do not dissociate to any large extent and therefore do not conduct electricity very well. Examples include ammonia (NH₃) and acetic acid (CH₃COOH).
  
  
• Non-electrolytes do not dissociate to ions in water and do not conduct electricity. Examples include sugar (sucrose = C₁₂H₂₂O₁₁), ethanol (CH₃CH₂OH) and methanol (CH₃OH).
  
  

Caution: do not interpret this language to suggest that it is safe to work with electricity around water! Such work involves special training, safeguards and precautions.

SDS Relevance

The term aqueous may appear on a Safety Data Sheet in terms of a special instruction (such as first aid procedures), a particular chemical property, or a chemical incompatibility.

Aqueous solutions are not usually flammable, but may be able to carry toxic materials into your body through skin contact or ingestion.

Be careful with terminology. A solution of ammonia gas (NH₃) in water is often called ammonium hydroxide, NH₄OH, ammonia water, or simply ammonia. Do not confuse this aqueous solution with ammonia gas (anhydrous ammonia)!

Further Reading

• Introduction to Aqueous Solutions at MIT Open Courseware.
• Types of Chemical Reactions and Solution Stoichiometry at Old Dominion U is a set of slides with a lot of information about aqueous solutions.
• Solutions at Washington University in St. Louis.
• Aqueous Solutions at Chemistry LibreTexts™.
• Aqueous Solution at Wikipedia.

See also: concentration, electrolyte, solubility, solution, solvent, water reactive.

Additional definitions from Google and OneLook.

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