Which statement best describes what happens when oil and water are stirred together?

Question

A. Water molecules will attract each other electrically, but they will not attract oil molecules, causing separation
B. Water and oil molecules have opposite electrical charges, causing them to repel each other and separate
C. Oil and water molecules have like charges, causing them to repel each other and separate
D. Oil molecules will repel each other electrically, leading to complete mixing of the two substances

Answer 1

The statement that best describes what happens when oil and water are stirred together is:

C. Oil and water molecules have like charges, causing them to repel each other and separate.

This is due to the polar nature of water molecules, which can form hydrogen bonds with each other, while oil molecules are non-polar and do not interact with water in the same way. The result is that they do not mix and tend to separate into distinct layers.