Water molecules are composed of two hydrogen atoms (H) and one oxygen atom (O). The arrangement of the hydrogen and oxygen atoms forms a bent molecular structure.
The bent molecular structure of the water molecule causes it to be polar. A polar molecule is one that is asymmetric, causing the charge of the molecule to be uneven. The half of the water molecule with the two hydrogen atoms carries a partial positive charge. The half of the water molecule with the oxygen atom carries a partial negative charge.
Water is a good solvent because the partial positive and negative charges on the water molecule are able to interact with other charged particles and facilitate dissolving.
Therefore, the water molecule is a good solvent because it has a molecular structure that causes it to also be a polar molecule.
No comments:
Post a Comment