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The water molecule is polar. The oxygen and hydrogen atoms do not share the electrons equally. The larger oxygen atom tends to hold the electrons more closely than the hydrogen atoms. This causes the oxygen end of the water molecule to be slightly negatively charged, and the hydrogen atoms to be slightly positively charged. When a salt is added to water, the slightly positive hydrogen atoms attract the negative ions of the salt, and the slightly negative oxygen atom attracts the positive ions of the salt, causing them to dissociate and dissolve in the water.

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13y ago

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