2006-10-01 07:53:51 · 4 answers · asked by jacky b 1 in Science & Mathematics ➔ Chemistry
it has to do with polarity. just remember that likes dissolve likes, meaning that non-polar substances will dissolve non-polar substances, i.e. gasoline will dissolve oil; and polars will dissolve polars: water will dissolve alcohol or any ionic substance. things that dont appear to dissolve, like silver chloride, simply arent very soluble. they do dissolve, but to a vastly smaller degree than, say, table salt.
2006-10-01 07:57:23 · answer #1 · answered by The Frontrunner 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Solubility chiefly depends on chemical bonds. As someone said earlier, polar solvents (water for example) will dissolve polar solutes (sugar, ionic compounds etc - though some of those are not very soluble in anything), and non-polar solvents (eg. n-hexane) will dissolve non-polar solutes (eg. iodine - though iodine does dissolve in water to some extent!).
However, there is one thing I don't understand in this whole solubility business. Nonpolar substances such as iodine form intermolecular bonds (Van der Waals forces, for the more advanced ;)) by the presence of instantaneous dipoles, that is, molecules momentarily becoming polar due to the random movement of electrons. Attraction develops between these instantaneous dipoles. Then why doesn't this work in the same way in a polar environment? Why don't instantaneous dipoles just mix with constant dipoles? Why don't water and hexane mix? Maybe I'll post this as a question for chemists who know more about matter than I do :)
2006-10-01 15:30:39 · answer #2 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
Well, cold stuff disolves stuff faster. What are you using? Only sugar, baking soda, and other disolvable stuff disolves.
2006-10-01 15:03:17 · answer #3 · answered by ruiqim 1 · 0⤊ 0⤋
acid and alkaline.. acids dont eat grease, and alkalines dont eat metals...
acids are corrosive
alkalines are caustic.
2006-10-01 14:59:12 · answer #4 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 1⤋