As salt (a solute) has dissolved it has made a solution
A solution of Na+(sodium ions) and Cl-(chlorine ions) in water is brine.
A solution of salt water consists of water and salt, the salt is made up of, if you are talking about common table salt, Sodium and Chlorine, which are separated from each other into individual ions by the individual water molecules. =)
The source of chlorine is primarily derived from salt deposits found in the earth's crust. It is extracted through a process called electrolysis, where an electric current is passed through a solution of sodium chloride (salt water) to separate the chlorine from the sodium.
The salt molecules are "torn apart" by the water, and are reduced to sodium (Na+) and chlorine (Cl-) ions. It is the ions that go into solution and "float around" there. Note that elemental sodium and elemental chlorine are not what is in solution. The ions are. Salt, sodium chloride, is an ionic molecule; an ionic bond holds salt together.
Nothing about salt water is an element. Water is the compound H2O (2 Hydrogens bonded with an Oxygen). Salt is the compound NaCl (Sodium and Chlorine bonded). Together they form a solution with the water dissolving the salt.
A simple example of a solution in equilibrium is a saturated salt solution, where the rate of salt dissolving is equal to the rate of salt crystallizing out of the solution, resulting in a dynamic equilibrium where the concentration of salt remains constant.
Chlorine solution is a mixture of chlorine molecules (solute) and water (solvent)
This solution contain 6,5 g salt in 1 L solution.
As water molecules are smaller than either Sodium or Chlorine molecules, osmosis is favoured in their leaving the cell into the salt solution. Therefore a living cell shrinks in salt solution.
Salt is the solute. Water is the solvent. Salt water is the solution. This solution is sometimes called a saline solution.
Salt water is a solution of salt dissolved in water.
Salt is the solute. Water is the solvent. Salt water is the solution. This solution is sometimes called a saline solution.