Calculating Mass of Solute in a Solution

A solution is a homogenous mixture composed of two or more substances. In a solution, the substance present in the greater amount is called the solvent, while the substance present in a smaller amount is called the solute. A common example of a solution is saltwater, where salt is the solute and water is the solvent.

If you have a solution that is 5% salt (by mass), this means that there are 5 grams of salt in every 100 grams of solution. Using this information, let’s consider the following question:

What is the mass of salt present in 500 grams of a 5% salt solution?