Solutes present in any solution the free energy of water

Options

A. Reduce
B. Increases
C. Has no effect on
D. Has negligible effect on

Answer

**Step-by-Step Text Solution:**

1. **Understanding Free Energy of Water:**
- Free energy in the context of water refers to the energy available for work, which is influenced by the presence of solutes in a solution.

2. **Effect of Solutes on Water:**
- When solutes such as salts or sugars are dissolved in water, they interact with water molecules. This interaction affects the kinetic energy of the water molecules.

3. **Kinetic Energy and Solvation:**
- The presence of solutes causes water molecules to lose some of their kinetic energy. This is because the solute particles attract water molecules, effectively immobilizing them around the solute.

4. **Impact on Free Energy:**
- As the kinetic energy of water molecules decreases due to solvation (the process of surrounding solute particles with solvent molecules), the free energy of the water also decreases.

5. **Conclusion:**
- Therefore, we can conclude that the presence of solutes in a solution reduces the free energy of water.

**Final Answer:**
- The correct answer is that solutes present in any solution reduce the free energy of water.

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