A solution is a mixture of substances. The substance present in the largest quantity is called the solvent, and the substance(s) present in the smaller quantity if called the solute. By far the most common solvent on the Earth is water, H2O. Most beverages you drink, the cells in your body and the ocean are all examples of solutions with water as the solvent. A solution can have a single solute, like vinegar (contains acetic acid and water), or a solution can have multiple solutes, like the ocean (contains dozens of ions along with small organic molecules dissolved in water).