- Explain how water molecules dissolve salts like sodium chloride.
Polarity
Polarity arises when shared pair of electrons are unequally distributed between two atoms.
The shared pair is closer to the electronegative atom present.
Water is a polar molecule with an electronegative atom O and hydrogen.
Salt like NaCl consists of positive sodium ions and negative chloride ions.
The polar ends of the water molecule attract the oppositely charged ions in salt.
When water interacts with salt, the positive polar part of the water molecule attracts the negative chloride ion and negative polar part of the water molecule attracts the positive sodium ion.
When the attractions of the water molecules overcomes the attractions between the sodium and chloride ions, the salt begins to dissolve.
The water molecules are held together by covalent bonds and the bonding between water and salt is ionic in nature, which is stronger than covalent.
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