In a solution of water and salt, the solute is salt. The solute is the substance that is dissolved in the solvent to form a solution. In this case, water is the solvent because it is doing the dissolving, and salt is the solute being dissolved in the water.
So, when you mix salt in water to create a saltwater solution, the salt particles disperse in the water, making it a homogeneous mixture. This means that the salt molecules are evenly spread out throughout the water, creating a solution where the salt is the solute and the water is the solvent.