A solute and a solvent are present in the solution. A liquid and water make up a solvent. A solution is created when a solid solute dissolves in a liquid solvent. To determine if a solution is hypotonic or not, we must first determine the solute concentrations by adding a cell with a known concentration of solute. And the solute concentration should be high from the solution. When the cell is swollen in this solution, the presence of water movement indicates that the solution is hypotonic.