Properties of Water- The Universal Solvent quiz Flashcards

Hydrophilic describes substances that readily dissolve in water due to their affinity or attraction to water.

Polar and charged molecules, such as salts and ions, are typically hydrophilic.

Hydrophobic describes substances that do not readily dissolve in water and tend to separate from it.

Non-polar molecules, such as fats, oils, and waxes, are typically hydrophobic.

Water is called the 'universal solvent' because it can dissolve many different types of solutes, especially hydrophilic substances.

Table salt dissolves in water as the sodium and chloride ions are surrounded by water molecules, forming hydration shells.

Vegetable oil does not mix well with water because it is made of non-polar molecules, making it hydrophobic.

'Hydro' means water and 'philic' means loving, so 'hydrophilic' means water-loving.

'Hydro' means water and 'phobic' means fearing, so 'hydrophobic' means water-fearing.

An example of a hydrophilic substance is table salt (sodium chloride).

An example of a hydrophobic substance is vegetable oil.

Hydrophilic substances dissolve well in water due to their attraction to water molecules.

Hydrophobic substances do not dissolve well in water and tend to separate from it.

Hydration shells form around the ions of the salt, disrupting the ionic bonds and allowing the salt to dissolve.

Water's ability to dissolve substances is crucial for many biological processes, including nutrient transport and chemical reactions.

Salt dissolves in water because water is a polar solvent, meaning it has a partial positive charge on one side and a partial negative charge on the other. When salt (NaCl) is added to water, the positive sodium ions (Na+) are attracted to the negative side of water molecules, and the negative chloride ions (Cl-) are attracted to the positive side of water molecules. This interaction disrupts the ionic bonds in salt, allowing the ions to separate and become surrounded by water molecules, forming a hydration shell. This process results in the salt dissolving in water, making water an effective universal solvent for ionic compounds like salt.