Water is a good solvent of ionic salts because:

Q: Water is a good solvent of ionic salts because:

It has a high dipole moment - Water is often called the “universal solvent” because it dissolves more substances than any other liquid. The primary reason it is such an effective solvent for ionic salts is its high dipole moment — a measure of the separation of electrical charges within a molecule. Each water molecule (H₂O) has a bent shape, with the oxygen atom carrying a partial negative charge (δ⁻) and the hydrogen atoms carrying partial positive charges (δ⁺). This charge separation creates a strong dipole. When an ionic salt, such as sodium chloride (NaCl), is added to water, the polar water molecules interact with the ions in the crystal lattice. The negatively charged oxygen side of water molecules is attracted to the positively charged cations (e.g., Na⁺), while the positively charged hydrogen side is attracted to the negatively charged anions (e.g., Cl⁻). This interaction is called ion-dipole attraction. As more water molecules surround each ion, they pull the ions away from the crystal lattice, dispersing them throughout the solution — a process known as hydration. This breaks the electrostatic forces between the ions and keeps them separate, resulting in dissolution. Water’s high dielectric constant (a property related to dipole moment) also reduces the effective electrostatic attraction between ions, making it even easier for salts to dissolve. This is why substances like table salt, potassium nitrate, and many other ionic compounds dissolve readily in water. In summary, water’s strong polarity and high dipole moment allow it to interact efficiently with both cations and anions, overcoming the ionic bonds in salts and making it an excellent solvent for ionic substances.

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It has a high dipole moment - Water is often called the &ldquo;universal solvent&rdquo; because it dissolves more substances than any other liquid. The primary reason it is such an effective solvent for ionic salts is its high dipole moment &mdash; a measure of the separation of electrical charges within a molecule.
Each water molecule (H₂O) has a bent shape, with the oxygen atom carrying a partial negative charge (&delta;⁻) and the hydrogen atoms carrying partial positive charges (&delta;⁺). This charge separation creates a strong dipole. When an ionic salt, such as sodium chloride (NaCl), is added to water, the polar water molecules interact with the ions in the crystal lattice.
The negatively charged oxygen side of water molecules is attracted to the positively charged cations (e.g., Na⁺), while the positively charged hydrogen side is attracted to the negatively charged anions (e.g., Cl⁻). This interaction is called ion-dipole attraction.
As more water molecules surround each ion, they pull the ions away from the crystal lattice, dispersing them throughout the solution &mdash; a process known as hydration. This breaks the electrostatic forces between the ions and keeps them separate, resulting in dissolution.
Water&rsquo;s high dielectric constant (a property related to dipole moment) also reduces the effective electrostatic attraction between ions, making it even easier for salts to dissolve. This is why substances like table salt, potassium nitrate, and many other ionic compounds dissolve readily in water.
In summary, water&rsquo;s strong polarity and high dipole moment allow it to interact efficiently with both cations and anions, overcoming the ionic bonds in salts and making it an excellent solvent for ionic substances.

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