When a solution is described as 'aqueous', which of the following characteristics is true?

When a solution is described as 'aqueous', it specifically indicates that water is the solvent used in the solution. The term 'aqueous' derives from the Latin word 'aqua', which means water. Therefore, in any aqueous solution, the substance being dissolved (the solute) is mixed with water, making water the primary medium for the dissolution process. This characteristic is fundamental to understanding how various solutes interact within an aqueous environment and is crucial in fields like chemistry and biochemistry, where reactions often take place in water.

The other potential characteristics do not apply to solutions described as 'aqueous'. For instance, a solution cannot contain no solute because, by definition, a solution consists of a solvent (in this case, water) and one or more solutes. Additionally, it does not pertain to organic solvents; organic solvents would not qualify as 'aqueous' since they are primarily derived from carbon-containing compounds. Lastly, an aqueous solution is not a gas at room temperature; such solutions remain in a liquid state under typical conditions where water is the solvent.