Why hydro carbon are not soluble in water?

Answer 1

Because hydrocarbons have non polar molecules and water has a polar molecule.
Hydrocarbons, which are molecules that are composed entirely of only Hydrogen & Carbon, which should make sense from the name. From a simple standpoint, it should make sense that these species are hydrophobic (ie: insoluble in water) because they not polar species. Carbon holds its electrons tightly. Water is a polar solvent because of the non-bonding electrons on the oxygen (H2O). Two substances are soluble with each other when they are either both polar (hydrophilic) or both nonpolar (hydrophobic).

Answer 2

Because they are not polar. In order to be soluble in water, which is polar, there would have to be an electrostatical difference in a molecule, leaving one part slightly more negative than the other (hence the name "polar"), and hydrocarbons (molecules of carbon and hydrogen) don't have enough of that. Their affinity for electrons is just about the same, and so they more or less cancel eachother out.

Answer 3

Hydrocarbons do no dissolve in water because hydrocarbons are non-polar, whereas water is polar. The general rule to follow for solubility is "like dissolve likes," meaning that polar dissolves polar and non-polar dissolves non-polar.

Answer 4

Hydrocarbons are nonpolar molecules, while water is a polar molecule. Like dissolves like, so polar molecules (like water) tend to dissolve in other polar molecules, and nonpolar molecules (like hydrocarbons) tend to dissolve in other nonpolar molecules. This difference in polarity makes hydrocarbons insoluble in water.

Answer 5

Hydrocarbons are non-polar and aren't attracted to the water molecules which contain slightly negative charges on the oxygen and slightly positive hydrogen.

Answer 6

The general rule is "Like dissolves like". Hydrocarbons are non-polar and generally do not dissolve in polar solvents like water or alcohols.

Answer 7

Probbably because they're non-polar? LOL