Which of the following substances would be expected to have the highest solubility in water?

JAMB Chemistry 2023 65 views

Which of the following substances would be expected to have the highest solubility in water?

  1. A nonpolar hydrocarbon
  2. A polar organic compound
  3. An ionic salt ✓
  4. A nonpolar gas

Explanation

Ionic salts dissolve best in water because water molecules are polar and strongly attract charged ions. Water surrounds and separates the positive and negative ions in the salt crystal.

The rule “like dissolves like” means polar solvents dissolve polar and ionic substances best. Water is highly polar, making it excellent at dissolving ionic compounds.

Nonpolar substances like hydrocarbons and gases dissolve poorly in water because they lack charges for water to attract. Ionic salts split into individual ions, achieving the highest solubility in water.

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