Question

Part A: Explain why and how polar covalent bonds found in water molecules are responsible for waters ability to dissolve many substances, particularly ionic compounds such as salt.
Part B: Identify the solvent and the solute in the solution that has been created in Part A from dissolving salt in water.

Thanks for any help :)

Answer 1

Part A -

Water has polar covalent bonds due to the difference in electronegativity between the oxygen and the hydrogen. When a solute such as an ionic compound dissolves, it's constituent ions are pulled apart from one another. Water then forms hydration shells around the pulled apart ions (look above for NaCl being dissolved in water).

This normally only occurs with ionic compounds such as salt and other polar molecules. This is because with non polar molecules, the water would be more strongly attracted to itself meaning it won't form hydration shells.

Part B -

In the example from part A in which an ionic substance is being dissolved in water, the ionic substance is the solute and the water is the solvent.