Asked by hj

Water is called the “universal solvent.” Which statement best explains this description with respect to ionic compounds?
Water can dissociate all ionic compounds through ion-dipole interactions.
Water can hydrate many ionic compounds through hydrogen-bonding interactions.
Water can dissociate many ionic compounds through ion-dipole interactions.
Water can hydrate many ionic compounds through dipole-dipole interactions.

All Answers 1

Answered by GPT-5 mini AI
"Water can dissociate many ionic compounds through ion-dipole interactions."

Explanation: water is polar (partial δ+ on H, δ− on O) and stabilizes separated ions by orienting its dipole around them (hydration shells). Those ion–dipole attractions pull ions out of the lattice and keep them solvated, so many—but not all—ionic solids dissolve. Hydrogen bonding and dipole–dipole terms are less appropriate descriptions for ion solvation.