Difference Between Liquid and Aqueous

Liquid vs Aqueous

We all know that liquid is one of the three states of matter, the other two being solid and gaseous states. All substances found on earth are in one of these states. Water is perhaps the best example of liquid state and it is one substance that is found in all three states. It is ice in solid state, water in normal liquid state, and vapor or steam in gaseous state. There is another term called aqueous that is frequently heard in chemistry. There are students who confuse between liquid and aqueous. Though somewhat similar, there are differences in a liquid and an aqueous solution that will be discussed in this article.

Aqueous is a word that is used whenever we talk about a substance that is dissolved in water. Water is in large quantity becoming solvent, while the substance is in small quantities being referred to as solute in such an aqueous solution. Why water and not any other liquid is given this honor is because of the fact that it is perhaps the best available solvent on earth.

Water, which is liquid, is a pure substance while aqueous solution is a solution of a compound in water. Thus, when we write NaCl (aq.), we mean a solution containing sodium chloride in water. All acids as well as bases are aqueous solutions by their definition.

Aqueous solution is a special type of liquid, whereas liquid is a generic term describing elements that occur naturally in this state of matter. Mercury is a metal that exists in liquid state though, it is not dissolved in water. But when you hear the term aqueous, it specifically refers to a compound having been dissolved in water, which is considered a universal solvent.

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