answersLogoWhite

0

The fact that water is a universal solvent is a commonly used sentence, but it does not mean that no substance is insoluble in water. fats for example are practically insoluble in water, as the experiment of putting oil in water simply demonstrates (the two phases remains separated).

Water is very good at solving polar substances due to the polar nature of the water molecule that is able to establish weak bond with a very low energetic content (called hydrogen bonds) with charged molecules .

When a polar solute is put in water, the solute molecules are decomposed by water in charged parts (called ions) that are surrounded by a layer of water molecules bonded to ions with hydrogen bonds. This configuration has a lower energy content with respect to the configuration of water alone and solute molecules alone, thus the solute molecule decomposition is spontaneous.

User Avatar

Wiki User

12y ago

What else can I help you with?

Related Questions

What are three properties of water?

Universal solvent, polarity, density, cohesion, adhesion


What properties of water give it the distinction of being called the universal solvent?

The polarity of water gives it the distinction of being called the universal solvent.


What is another name for the universal solvent?

Water is often referred to as the universal solvent because of its ability to dissolve a wide variety of solutes due to its polar nature and unique properties.


Due to what reasons is water a universal solvent?

its the universal solvent because it dissolve in water and the dipole charteristics makes it a universal solvent


What is the universal solvent of the alchemist?

water is the universal solvent now


What is the liquid that is referred to as the universal solvent?

Water is often referred to as the universal solvent because it has the ability to dissolve a wide range of substances due to its polar nature and unique hydrogen bonding properties.


Water is called this when it can dissolve many things?

Water is a universal solvent.


Why is it that water is no longer a universal solvent?

It is still considered a universal solvent.


What is a real world example of universal solvent?

yes water is a universal solvent as it has the property of dileteral constant which can almost break all covalent bonds as hence dissolves the matter into it


What is universal solvent?

A universal solvent doesn't exist; water is a good solvent for many materials.


Is Carbon a universal solvent?

Carbon is not a universal solvent. Water is often referred to as the universal solvent because of its ability to dissolve a wide variety of substances due to its polar nature. Carbon, on the other hand, is not a solvent in the same way as water.


What does universal solvent mean?

The term universal solvent means that most things dissolve in it. So, since water is the universal solvent, most things do dissolve in water.