Asked by Lorenzo Palacios on May 03, 2024
Verified
What makes water an excellent solvent?
Solvent
A substance, typically a liquid, capable of dissolving other substances to form a solution.
Water
A colorless, tasteless, and odorless substance essential for most plant and animal life and the most widely used solvent.
- Describe the properties of water as a solvent and the role of solvation in dissolving ionic compounds.
Verified Answer
ZK
Zybrea KnightMay 05, 2024
Final Answer :
The polarity of the water molecule and its ability to form hydrogen bonds make water an excellent solvent.
Ionic solids dissolve in water because the slight positive charge on each hydrogen atom in a water molecule attracts negatively charged ions and the slight negative charge on the oxygen atom attracts positively charged ions. Hydrogen bonds among many water molecules are collectively stronger than an ionic bond between two ions, so the solid dissolves as water molecules tug the ions apart and surround each one.
Ionic solids dissolve in water because the slight positive charge on each hydrogen atom in a water molecule attracts negatively charged ions and the slight negative charge on the oxygen atom attracts positively charged ions. Hydrogen bonds among many water molecules are collectively stronger than an ionic bond between two ions, so the solid dissolves as water molecules tug the ions apart and surround each one.
Learning Objectives
- Describe the properties of water as a solvent and the role of solvation in dissolving ionic compounds.