What makes water solvent?

Answer 1

Generally "like dissolves like". Water is a polar molecule and so will tend to dissolve anything polar (i.e. with some kind of charge) and not dissolve non-polar substances. Examples of things that do dissolve are many ionic substances (though not all) and shorter chain alcohols such as ethanol. Longer chains don't dissolve as well as they get more non-polar in character.

Answer 2

Water can dissolve many things. For instance, stuff like salt can be dissolved in water. Water is one of the largest solvents and is the most common.

Water (Water is H2O in liquid form) has a general positive side opposite a general negative side. This arrangement of the two Hydrogen molecules in relation to the single Oxygen molecule allows water to attractively separate other molecules and suspend them in the body of water. It's a pretty sweet arrangement. Life in the forms found on Earth would not be able to exist without water.

Answer 3

If an organic compound is relatively small, and has a polar end, it may become soluble in water. This depends on how long the carbon-chain is, compared to how polar the polar end of the chain is.

I.e. Ethanol is polar and water soluable, while decanol is not.

Answer 4

Water is a solvent because of its unique molecular structure, which includes a partial positive charge on the hydrogen atoms and a partial negative charge on the oxygen atom. These partial charges allow water to interact with and dissolve a wide variety of substances, making it an excellent solvent for polar and ionic compounds.

Answer 5

Hydrogen bonds that the guest molecule create with the water makes it water soluble.

Answer 6

Anything chemically polar. Salts and nitrates are quite soluble.

Answer 7

Polar molecules, and ionic compounds that dissociate in water.

Answer 8

1 part hydrogen 2 parts oxygen