Question

Using your answer to F and what you have learned about the polar nature of the water molecule, explain what causes magnesium chloride to dissolve in seawater

Answer 1

MgCl2 dissolves in water because the individual ions in the solid (Mg2+ and Cl-) coordinate with the partial charges in the water molecules. The magnesium cations coordinate with the partially negatively charged oxygen atoms and the chlorine anions coordinate with the partially positively charged hydrogen atoms.