We'll look at what happens<span> when you </span>dissolve ionic<span> and covalent </span>compounds<span> in </span>water<span>. </span>Ionic compounds<span> break apart into the </span>ions<span> that make them up, a process called dissociation, while covalent </span>compounds only break into the molecules, not the individual atoms.<span>When you immerse an </span>ionic compound<span> in </span>water<span>, the ions are attracted to the </span>water <span>molecules, each of which carries a polar charge. If the attraction between the ions and the </span>water <span>molecules </span>is<span> great enough to break the bonds holding the ions together, the compound </span><span>dissolves</span>