Which of the following best describes what molarity measures?

• A. The number of moles of solute per liter of solution
• B. The number of grams of solute per liter of solvent
• C. The number of grams of solute per kilogram of solution
• D. The number of moles of solute per kilogram of solvent

Answer: (A)

Verified step by step guidance

1. Understand that molarity is a concentration unit used in chemistry to express the amount of solute dissolved in a given volume of solution.
2. Recall the definition of molarity, which is the number of moles of solute divided by the volume of the entire solution in liters.
3. Note that molarity is expressed as \(M = \frac{\text{moles of solute}}{\text{liters of solution}}\).
4. Distinguish molarity from other concentration units such as molality (moles of solute per kilogram of solvent) and mass/volume concentration (grams of solute per liter of solvent or solution).
5. Conclude that molarity specifically measures the number of moles of solute per liter of solution, not per kilogram of solvent or in terms of grams.