Aq Meaning in Chemistry

If you are a chemistry student you may have come across "aq" in solution preparation or chemical reaction and may have wondered what does aq mean in chemistry. 

• The meaning of aq in chemistry is aqueous. When a solid (s) is dissolved in water the solution is formed and the resulting solution formed is called as aqueous solution. For example, aqueous solution of NaOH. In this NaOH compound in solid state is dissolved in water which is in liquid state.
• In chemical reaction "aq" is a state symbol. If you see aq on the reactant side that means the reactant forms a solution in water and is in homogenous phase. Similarly if you see aq on the product side, it means the product formed dissolves in the water to form a homogenous solution.