A solvent in chemistry is a substance, usually a liquid, that dissolves a solute to form a solution. Solvents can be polar (e.g., water) or nonpolar (e.g., hydrocarbons), and they are used in various industrial processes, chemical syntheses, and purification processes
. Some common examples of solvents include water, benzene, acetone, and ethanol
. Solvents are essential in many chemical reactions and are used in a wide range of industries, including pharmaceutical manufacturing, foodstuffs, textile, rubber, and engineering
